


Something Lost, Something Gained

by BekahLeigh



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Marriage, Rape, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-03
Updated: 2013-05-05
Packaged: 2017-12-10 06:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 49,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/782743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BekahLeigh/pseuds/BekahLeigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this world, you can't help but change. But what happens when Daryl finds that Carol is changing, and not for the better. Will it bring them together or tear them apart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the purpose of this story, please disregard the event of 3/15 and 3/16. It this version of events, The Governor and his soldiers were defeated, eliminating their threat from the group. The remains of the Woodbury group have still moved into the prison after the death of their leader and Andrea is still dead because, well, I hated Andrea. Please take the time to follow and review. I love nothing more than to hear your thoughts and suggestions. With that out of the way, read on and enjoy.

Nearly 5 months had passed since the showdown with the Governor and his army. Beating the odds, the small group of survivors had emerged victorious. The prison had been heavily damaged, but they had slowly rebuilt and now the shelter was more secure than ever. They had rid the tombs of any walkers that remained, clearing out and securing the rest of the cell blocks to accommodate their new residents. The inclusion of the Woodbury survivors into their own tight knit group had been uneasy at first, no one truly knowing who to trust. But as the time passed, the two groups had found themselves becoming one. They had found that they all wanted the same things, shared the same goals. All these people wanted from the hell that they now called their world was a sense of safety, security and community. Now that they possessed these things, life was slowly becoming something that almost resembled normal. Everyone had found their own roles in the community, whether it was as a protector, a healer, a hunter, or a nurturer. Even the elderly members of the group contributed in their own way, pitching in to help care for the children or prepare a meal. They had become a family in their own right, and the life they shared with each other was the closest they could have come to finding peace in this shattered world. Though they had to remain on guard, everyone had come to find their own sense of happiness. Almost everyone.

From his perch in the tower high above the prison yard, Daryl could see a lot of things. The few biters that always seemed to be lurking just beyond the fence, unable to get through. The people he now considered his family going about their days, performing their various chores seemingly unaffected by the horrors that lie outside their walls. Hershel, Beth, Maggie, and a few others were clearing a large parcel of land for the vegetable garden they had planned. After a long winter, spring was finally upon them and everyone seemed to be in good spirits as they enjoyed the warm Georgia sunshine. Carl was helping a few of the elderly women look after Judith and the half dozen other small children that were now part of the group. Daryl couldn't help but smile as he saw the grin on the young man's face as he was tackled to the ground by a two especially rambunctious toddlers. It was nice to see Carl getting a chance to just be a kid again. After the events of the past year, they had all feared that some essential part of the boy's humanity had been lost for good, but he had surprised them all when he had stepped up and offered to take responsibility for the youngest members of the group. Satisfied that all was well, he scanned the yard a few time before his eyes came to rest on the one thing he found himself watching more and more. Carol was alone on the outskirts of the group, sitting quietly on a small blanket, needle in hand as she worked to mend the small pile of clothes beside her. Her face held a small smile as she sewed, her motions almost robotic. Poke the fabric, pull the needle, poke the fabric, pull the needle. She was always working, quietly busying herself with one thing or another. That was how she appeared to the group, as the meek, sweet woman who served their meals and cleaned their clothes. But not to Daryl. He didn't know what it was yet, but something was not quite right with her. She had come so far since they had met, transforming from a scared little mouse to a woman who was outspoken and fiercely protective of her makeshift family. But things had changed since their confrontation with the Governor. She had been welcoming to the new people at first, constantly rushing around to make sure that everyone was comfortable and had what they needed. She hadn't even complained about the extra work. Her new found sense of purpose had brought a brightness to her smile that he had never seen before. But as the time passed the brightness had faded, leaving behind a smile that now seemed forced. Her actions hadn't changed. She still cleaned, still cooked, still made conversation. But her heart didn't seem to be in it. It was almost as if she was regressing into her former self. She was no longer the Carol he had come to know and admire, but the small damaged woman she had been when they had first met, so long ago at the camp in Atlanta. And though he hated to admit it, he missed her. She hardly spoke to anyone anymore, but it almost seemed like she was trying to avoid him in particular. Long gone were her teasing comments and comforting looks. Whenever their paths crossed these days, she did her best to avoid eye contact and spoke only in one or two word answers. He had tried so many times to talk to her, but he could never seem to find the words. He was no good with this kind of thing. He sat there for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. He shook them away as he saw the truck approaching the gate.

Signaling down to the young man on guard, the gate was opened allowing the vehicle to enter. Pulling up outside the cell blocks, Rick, Glenn and Michonne exited the cab, pulling a tarp off of the large pile of supplies they had salvaged. Pallets of cans and boxes were quickly unloaded, followed by large bags containing clothes and linens that they had desperately needed. A few of the residents had gathered around the truck to collect the items they had personally requested. Medication, diapers, and toys for the children were the most commonly requested items, but they did get the occasional request for something a bit more unusual. One of the older women named Agnes had a standing order for chewing gum, and anytime they were able to find some to bring back for her it brightened her whole mood. Another one of their elderly members, a man named Lenny, asked for cigars every time that a run was made, only to be disappointed when they were unable to find any. Daryl chuckled under his breath as he watched the old man walk away empty handed. He was a persistent one, that man. Daryl was surprised to see that Carol had moved from her place on the blanket and was approaching the group unloading the truck. She stopped and looked around for a moment before making her way over to Michonne. He watched as she leaned over slightly and said something that he wasn't quite able to make out. Michonne stepped away for a moment, reaching into the cab of the truck and retrieving a small blue bag which she handed to a nervous looking Carol. Carol thanked her quietly and quickly rushed into the prison. "What the hell was that about?" Daryl thought out loud. He didn't have time to think about it for long, as he looked out and saw a group of about 30 walkers making their way towards the fence. Tired of sitting still for so long, the small herd was a welcome distraction. He whistled a warning to the group below, alerting them to take the children inside. The little ones didn't need to see what was about to go down.

Slinging his crossbow over his shoulder, he made his way down from his perch to where some of the more capable members of the group had formed. "Ya'll ready?" he asked as he unsheathed his long buck knife. They all nodded, clutching their various weapons. "You all know the drill, get them through the fence, use your gun only as a last resort." They all agreed before spreading out along the fence line, banging their weapons against the links and shouting, enticing the walkers to come closer. It didn't take long to dispatch the biters. Daryl could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins, having killed at least ten of them himself. Once the threat was gone, they worked to collect the bodies, depositing them at a secluded area inside the fence. They would have to wait until morning to dispose of them however, as the sun was beginning to set. Daryl sent the others off, thanking them for their help as the headed inside. Quickly covering the pile with a large tarp, he double checked the gate, making sure it was secured. Satisfied that they were safe for another night, he collected his things and made his way into the prison to settle down for the night. Entering the common area that doubled as their kitchen, he found a happy scene as everyone sat around eating their supper and talking. A delicious smell suddenly filled his nostrils, and he glanced over to the stove to see Carol standing there dishing out stew to the latecomers. Her eyes met his for a brief moment, and he gave her a small smile, but she quickly averted her gaze and focused back on the task before her. He stood there for a moment, slightly dejected, but tried to shrug it off. After a quick trip to his cell to drop off his things and clean up a bit he returned to the kitchen, now completely famished. He walked to the stove, but instead of finding Carol there, he found a large bowl filled with food. Assuming it was left for him, he grabbed it, quickly finding a seat and devouring the meal. He had to give Carol credit, the woman could turn the most unappealing food into something wonderful. He inhaled the last few bites, leaving the dish with the two women who stood at the sink washing up. He was exhausted, and now that his stomach was full he was ready to turn in for some much needed rest. Bidding goodnight to the few people who were left in the common area, he turned to make his way to his cell. He was interrupted however as Rick called his name, beckoning him to come over to where he sat holding Judith in his lap.

"Daryl, I just wanted to thank you for taking care of the situation with the herd today." Rick said, looking up from where his daughter was playing with a small rattle.

"Don't need to thank me, just doing my job." Daryl replied, clearly uncomfortable with the praise.

"Yeah, but having Carl bring the children inside, that was something else. That was above and beyond your responsibilities. That is what I wanted to thank you for."

"Just didn't want the little ones to see that. They're just babies, gotta let them be babies a little while longer before they need to see that shit."

Daryl stood there for a moment, thinking back to the things he had seen as a child. No one deserved to grow up with that kind of shit in their head. Shaking the thought away, he glanced down to where Lil Asskicker sat, the little girl shaking the rattle and giggling. He reached down to ruffle her blond curls before looking back up to her father.

"Did ya need anything else? Cause I'm pretty beat right now." Daryl asked, the fatigue clearly visible on his face.

Rick reached over to pat him on the arm. "No brother, didn't need anything. Go get some sleep." he said, refocusing his attention on the little girl in his lap.

"Alright, g'night then." Daryl said as he turned to leave.

"Oh hey, Daryl?" Rick called just before he could reach the door.

Daryl turned around, anxious to get to the end of this so he could go hit the sack. "Yeah?"

"Have you seen Carol? She was here before and I needed to ask her something, but next thing I knew she was gone."

Daryl shook his head. "Haven't seen her since I came in. If I see her , I'll send her your way." he offered.

"Thanks man. Goodnight."

Daryl nodded in response as he left, making his way back to his cell. He had to pass by Carol's cell to get to his and he was surprised to find that it was empty, the makeshift curtain still open. "Where the hell is she?" he wondered as he entered his own cell. He dropped down onto the cot, laying his head back against the thin pillow. His whole body was calling for him to sleep, but his mind just didn't want to cooperate. He couldn't stop thinking about Carol. Her strange behavior had been concerning enough, but now here she was, going off alone at night. He tried to silence his mind, but in the end his curiosity got the better of him. He wasn't going to be able to sleep until he found her. He rolled off the cot, stopping to grab his knife before exiting his cell to begin his search. He quietly made his way out of their cell block, turning down the corridor that led further into the prison. He checked out the few offices and storerooms along the way, but still found no sign of her. He soon found himself outside of the shower room. He could hear that the water was running, and he felt a small surge of hope that he had finally found her. He entered the room, calling her name softly. When he heard no reply, he moved further into the room. He was about to call her name again, but stopped when he heard the noise coming from the stall. Barely audible above the noise of the shower was the sound of someone crying. Deep guttural sobs, slightly muffled as if the person crying was covering their mouth. A feeling of panic began to spread through him. He called her name, a little louder than he had intended to. The sound of the shower immediately stopped, as he heard a small voice respond in a tone that could only be described as fearful. "Who's there?

Daryl was relieved that he had finally found her, but was shaken by what he had just heard. He had heard Carol cry before, and it had never been that intense. He answered her softly, not wanting to upset her further. "It's just me. It's Daryl. Rick sent me to find you."

"Okay, just give me a second." she called out, her voice strained.

Daryl could feel the heat begin to rise in his cheeks as she exited the stall, clad only in a towel, droplets of water still clinging to her pale skin and her now almost chin length hair dripping down her neck. Forcing himself to look away, he spun on his heel, turning his back to her as he stammered out an apology. "Um…I'm sorry…..I didn't mean to interrupt you….I just…Rick was looking for you."

Carol quickly dried herself and slipped into the clean clothes she had brought with her. "You can turn around now." she said quietly.

Daryl turned around to find her fully dressed, wearing a pair of red plaid sleep pants and a black tank top. Even in the simple outfit, Daryl couldn't help but find her beautiful. He sought her eyes out, but found that she was looking down intently at the floor.

"What did Rick need?" she asked quietly.

"He didn't say actually." he replied. "Just said he wanted to ask you something. He was down in the kitchen with Jude last time I saw him."

Carol moved to gather her things from the bench, wrapping her dirty clothes up in her towel along with her shower supplies. "I'll go find him." she said, her eyes never leaving the floor. "Thanks for letting me know."

Daryl watched as she rushed to leave the room, walking right past him but never once making eye contact. He wanted to stop her, to ask her why she had been crying, why she wouldn't talk to him. But she was gone before his mouth had a chance to catch up with his brain. He was about to head back to his cell when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. Walking over to the bench, he bent to pick up the small object that must have fallen from Carol's things. Turning it over in his hand, he examined it closely as his eyes began to widen. He may not know much about women, but he had watched enough TV before the world ended to know what this was.

Daryl stood there for a moment as his brain tried to process this discovery. His mind was clouded with a strange mixture of emotions, ranging from curiosity to concern to a slight flash of anger. He pushed the thoughts away as he slipped the small white stick into his pocket. He left the room, walking back down the corridor to his cell. When he reached it, he quickly shed his clothes, removing the stick from his pocket and placing in on the small table he had set up in the corner of the room. Dropping down onto his bed, he rolled to his side to give one last look at the small white item that was practically glowing in the moonlight. He turned back onto his back, throwing the thin blanket over himself as he began to drift off to sleep, one thing repeating over and over in his brain.

Carol was pregnant.


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl woke in the early hours of the morning, before the sun had begun to rise. He stretched as he rose from the bed, quickly throwing his jeans on and grabbing a semi clean shirt from the pile on his table. He glanced at the pregnancy test that was still sitting there. He studied it for a moment, before picking it up and slipping it into the pocket of his jacket. He didn't really know what to do with the information he now possessed. It wasn't like he could just walk up to her and say "Hey, you dropped this." He needed to think. Luckily they were running low on fresh meat, and he knew that a good hunt would clear his mind. It seemed like the woods were the one place he could think clearly. He grabbed his crossbow, slinging it over his shoulder as he tiptoed through the quiet cellblock, not wanting to wake the group. He entered the kitchen, greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The room was empty except for the elderly man sitting at one of the tables reading. Lenny looked up from his book as the younger man entered.

"Good Mornin'." Lenny said with a warm smile on his weathered face. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Daryl poured himself a cup of coffee and glanced over at the old man. He wasn't really in the mood for small talk this morning, but he had to admit he kinda liked the guy. Reminded him a bit of his Grandpa Eli, the one man in his family that had ever treated him like he was worth a damn. His mama's father had been a tough old son of a bitch, an expert hunter and tracker who had taught Daryl everything he knew. But under the rough exterior was a man who loved his grandson, spending hours telling the boy stories and dirty jokes. Daryl hadn't been much older than 7 when his Gramps was taken from him by a heart attack. But he still carried fond memories of the man with him. He sat down across the table from the old man, taking a big gulp of his coffee before speaking. "I suppose, can't really tell. Sun ain't even up yet."

Lenny laughed. "Boy, I had a farm for fifty seven years. Been getting up at the crack of dawn since before you was born. Don't need no sun to tell me it's gonna be a nice day."

Daryl couldn't help but give the man a small smile. The two men sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking their coffee, when Daryl noticed the curious look that Lenny was giving him.

"Got something on your mind, son?" he asked, noticing the way the younger man seemed to be deep in thought.

Daryl gulped down the last of his drink, shaking his head in response to the old man's question. He had started to stand when Lenny spoke again.

"Ain't much of a talker, are you?" he asked.

As if reinforcing the man's opinion, he simply shook his head again.

"You know, you remind me a bit of my boy. He wasn't really one for words either. Hell, he didn't even start talking until he was almost two. My poor wife, god rest her soul, thought there was something wrong with him. Nothing wrong with him, he just didn't feel the need to fill his time with mindless chatter. He was more of a man of action, I suppose. Kinda like you, that way. He'd sooner do something than sit around talking about doing something. You would have liked him. Not too much older than you either, I reckon. What are you, 36, 37?"

Daryl shook his head, a hint of a smile coming to his face. He looked younger than he was. It used to bug him, but now that he was getting older he didn't mind it so much. "No, I'm 44. Maybe 45 now. Kinda lost track somewhere along the way." he shrugged.

"You got a young face. You're lucky really. Damn, I've been this wrinkled since I was in my 40's." Lenny joked.

Daryl was surprised to hear himself laugh at the old man's joke.

"My Tommy would have been 40 this year. I know, seems too young to be mine but my wife and me, we didn't think we could have any kids. We were both pushing 50 when he came along. Surprised the hell out of me, that's for sure. He was a good boy though. Lost my wife a few years ago, before this all happened. Kinda happy about that, she never had to see what the world has become. Last time I talked to my boy, him and his missus were planning a trip to come down from New York to visit. Never got the chance though. A week later, the world went to hell and I ain't heard from him since. Took me a while to accept it, but I think he's gone. They lived in the city and I don't really see how they could have made it out of there alive. Just as well though, he's with his mama now. I like to think they're up there watching over me. Probably laughing about how the old man finally had to quit smoking."

Daryl watched Lenny wipe away the small tear that had leaked from his eye. He had to admire the way that the old man could still joke in spite of all of the loss he had suffered. He stood from the table, tentatively reaching over to pat the man's shoulder. "I had to quit smoking too." he said, offering the one bit of consolation he could.

Lenny laughed, quickly shaking away the cloud of thoughts that had dampened his mood. "Better we kicked the habit now. Those things will kill ya."

Daryl smiled, thinking back to how many times he had heard that before the world ended. He slung his crossbow over his shoulder as he deposited his coffee cup in the sink. He turned to Lenny as he left. "I gotta head out and hunt, but, um…try and have a good day." he said before departing. He smiled as he heard the old man's response.

"I always do. Never know if it's gonna be my last."

A few hours later, Daryl wiped the sweat from his brow as he pulled the arrow from the head of the large buck he had killed. He had been tracking the son of a bitch for hours now and he'd nearly given up when it had finally appeared, standing still in a small clearing. Taking aim, he had taken it out with a clean shot right between the eyes. After quickly field dressing the animal, he tied a rope around its rack and began the long walk back to the prison. Once inside the gates, he dragged the buck to the kitchen, leaving it in the capable hands of Maggie. Glancing around the kitchen, he saw that Carol was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Maggie, you seen Carol?" he asked the young woman who sat cleaning and carving up his kill.

Maggie looked up from her work. "Last I saw her, she was working on cleaning up one of the old storage rooms. I guess Rick asked her if she would help him turn it into an armory. Didn't want our weapons left out in the open anymore, what with the kids around."

"Okay, thanks." he said, turning to leave. He stopped by his cell, dropping off his hunting gear and changing out of his now blood stained shirt. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should go find Carol. He pushed away his doubt, having psyched himself up during his hunt. He was going to confront her and he was going to do it now. Taking a deep breath, he left the cell, making his way down to the store room where Maggie had told him she would be. Pausing for a moment as he reached for the door knob, he shook himself. "Stop being such a pussy." he thought to himself as he forced himself to turn the handle, silently opening the door. Carol was standing on the far edge of the room near a large metal bookcase. She was nearly finished moving all of the now worthless files into boxes to be stacked in the corner. She didn't hear him enter and when he spoke she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Carol." he said softly as he approached her.

She startled and turned around to face him, quickly turning back to her work when she saw who it was that had interrupted her. "What do you need, Daryl?" she asked quietly, never taking her eyes off of the shelf in front of her.

He slipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve the test, reaching over to place it on the shelf. "Just wanted to return this to you." he said as he backed away from her a bit.

Carol's eyes went wide as she saw what he placed before her. Where the hell had he found this? She must have dropped it when she left the shower last night. She was struck completely speechless. What was she supposed to say. She turned around slowly, not sure what to expect from Daryl. She was surprised to find that the expression on his face was unreadable.

"Is that yours?" he asked, knowing the answer but just wanting to hear her say the words.

"Yes." was all she replied, her eyes not quite meeting his.

He shuffled his feet nervously, not really sure where to go from here. "We need to talk about this." he said finally.

"No we don't. Please just go away." she replied coldly, turning back to her work.

He wanted to do what he asked, just leave the room and forget all about this. But he knew that this needed to be said. He reached over gently spun her back around. He could swear that for a split second, she actually cowered at his touch. He released her but never broke eye contact. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were friends. Why would you keep this from me?"

Carol raised her head a bit, her face blank. "Because it doesn't have anything to do with you. It's my problem, not yours."

Daryl could feel himself beginning to get frustrated, but pushed it aside as he replied. "It is my problem. You are a part of this group and so is that baby. It's my job to protect ya'll. But I can't do that if you won't tell me anything. You ain't spoken more than two words to me in months."

She took a deep breath as she looked at the man before her. She hadn't wanted to push him away, but she also didn't really know how to be near him. She felt a tear slid down her cheek, reaching up to quickly wipe it away. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But I'm fine, honestly. I just don't really want to talk about this right now. Please Daryl, could you just go? I have work that I need to finish." she said, already beginning to back away.

He watched the way she retreated, and he would have been lying if he said that it didn't hurt. They had been so close once, and now she almost appeared to be scared of him. He raised his hand, as if in surrender. Taking a step back from her, he met her eyes which seemed to be pleading with him to just go. He summoned the last of his courage before he spoke. "I'll leave, but I have to ask you one thing first. Who is the dad?"

Carol could feel her calm expression begin to crack. This was what she had feared the most. "Please Daryl, it doesn't matter. Just leave it alone."

"I can't do that. You got a baby on the way, and it ain't right for you to be dealing with this by yourself. Now the way I see it, there ain't a lot of options as to who that kid's daddy is. Only been a few men in this group. So whose ass do I need to kick for knockin' you up and leaving you alone to deal with it. I know it ain't mine. I know it ain't one of the new men, since not one of them is young enough to even get it up. Tyreese, Rick, Glenn? Hershel? Was it that idiot Axel? Just tell me." His volume of his voice had raised a bit higher than he had intended. He watched as tears began to stream silently down Carol's face. She had shaken her head at every name he had said. He tried to think back over the past few months. As far as he knew, she hadn't been in contact with anyone else. But unless she was pulling a Virgin Mary, someone had done this. He tried to calm himself as he reached over to gently tilt her face towards his. He was taken aback at the look of fear in her blue eyes. Realization suddenly hit him and he pulled his hand away from her as if he had been burned. Anger began to overtake him, and all he could see was red.

"Merle."

Carol backed away from him, stopping only when her back met the cold concrete wall. Everyone in the group knew better than to ever mention Merle to Daryl. He was dead to him, literally and figuratively. After they had done their best to welcome him into their group, he had betrayed them all by kidnapping Michonne and delivering her to the Governor, telling the evil man that he could have her and the rest of the prison group, so long as he showed mercy on him and his brother. The Governor, not being a man who would give second chances, had shot him dead, leaving him to the walkers. Thankfully, Michonne had escaped before any harm could come to her. But when she was discovered by Daryl returning to the prison, she had told him what his brother had done. Driven by his rage, he raced to the warehouse, not finding the Governor or any of his men, but instead finding his brother bent over a fallen body, devouring its flesh. Merle stood before him, transformed into something as ugly on the outside in death as his soul had been in life. Without a second thought, Daryl had driven his knife into the monster's skull, over and over again, releasing all of the anger he had pent up towards his brother for so many years. When he finally stopped, he pulled away to find that he had been sobbing the whole time, his cheeks still wet with tears. He pulled himself together, rising from the ground, wanting nothing more than to go home to his true family. He didn't take his brothers body with him, there wouldn't be a burial. Merle didn't deserve it. He wiped the last tear from his eye as he walked away from his brother for the last time, vowing to never waste another thought on him.

Daryl cursed under his breath as he stalked back and forth in front of Carol. So many emotions were rushing through him but the prevalent one was rage. Rage at Merle for having left Carol in this position, Rage at Carol for having been careless enough to have let it happen, and above all rage at himself for having ever allowed his snake of a brother near her. He could feel the heat building in him, finally exploding as he slammed his fist into the wall above Carol's head. Carol dropped to the ground, shielding herself. Finding her voice, she spoke. "Daryl, stop! Please! I'm sorry!"

Her terrified cries broke through the darkness that surrounded him and he now saw that she was slumped against the wall, clutching her knees to her chest in an attempt to make herself small. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut and he could see that her whole body was now shaking with the force of her sobs. He felt sick when he realized that he was the one who had caused this reaction. He dropped to his knees in front of her, guilt washing over him as he watched her tremble.

"Carol….I'm so sorry…. I didn't mean to scare you. I just… I don't understand… You and Merle? How did this happen?" he said quietly, his voice little more than a whisper.

She mumbled something in response, but he couldn't hear her as her face was still shielded by her knees.

"Carol, please look at me. I can't understand you." He reached out to touch her, but as soon as his skin brushed hers she pulled away, her head jolting up and her red, tear filled eyes meeting his. "I didn't have a choice!" she yelled at him before hiding her face again.

Daryl felt his heart stop as he heard the words pass he lips. She didn't have a choice. He had forced her. Raped her. A fresh wave of guilt crashed over him. This was his fault. He was the one who had brought Merle here, the one who had insisted that he had changed and could be trusted. He had never been more wrong in his life and Carol had paid for his mistakes. There was no way he could ever make it up to her, no way he could give her back what had been stolen from her. He didn't want to press her any further but he had to know. "When?" was all he needed to ask. She looked up at him again, her deep sobbing subsiding but tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"The day he died." She closed her eyes again as the memories from that horrible day came flooding back to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you go. Carol's secret has been revealed. First of all I would just like to say, please don't hate me. I couldn't get this story out of my head and the only way to properly tell it was to torture our favorite pair a little bit. With that in mind, I would like to give you all fair warning. The next chapter will be a flashback to Carol's rape. If that subject is a trigger for you, I would suggest that you skip ahead. Thank you for reading and please take the time to review. Your kind words (and even your not so kind ones) keep me going.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance. Things are about to get dark. Once again, this chapter contains the flashback of Carol's rape. If such material upsets you, please feel free to skip over this one. If you stick around, thank you and please read on.

Carol had spent most of the morning gathering supplies from around the prison. She hadn't found much, a few blankets here and there, some prison uniforms and a couple of books that had been left in the cells. Making her way back to the cell block, she stopped when she came across the door to the warden's office. She had only been in the room once, but had been in a hurry at the time and hadn't really had a chance to take a good look. Dropping her bags next to the door, she turned the handle and walked in. It was dark, the only window being covered by a thick curtain. She walked over to open it, startled as she heard the door close behind her. She spun around to find Merle standing there with a smug look on his face. He studied her for a moment before raising the bottle of whiskey he had discovered in the warden's desk to his lips and taking a long pull. Carol frowned as she saw the bottle in his hands. Merle was an asshole when he was stone cold sober, she could only imagine what he was like when he was drunk.

"Shit Merle, you scared the hell out of me. What are you doing in here?" she said, trying to keep her tone light.

Merle smirked as he raised the bottle once more. "Just takin' a little vacation. Didn't mean to scare ya." He gestured the bottle towards her like a peace offering. "Care to join me?"

Carol smiled but shook her head politely. "No thanks. I don't really think now is the time to be getting drunk."

Merle just shrugged, taking another sip. "If now ain't the right time to drink, I don't know what is. Trapped in this tomb, sitting on our hands when we could be attacked at any minute. Can't think of a better reason than that to get drunk."

Carol glanced at him, watching as he swayed gently on his feet. For a moment she actually thought he was worried. "I know you're scared Merle, we all are. But we aren't just sitting on our hands. Rick and Daryl have a plan." She walked slowly towards him, reaching out to take the bottle from his hand. "But you aren't going to be any good to us like this." She was shocked when he snatched it back from her, causing her to take a step back.

"I ain't fuckin scared woman, I'm pissed off. Me and my brother could be long gone by now. But he had to come back here for you people. A crippled old man, an asshole pig, a chinaman, two brats and a bunch of fuckin women."

She took another step back from him, bumping into the edge of the large desk. "He came back for us because we are his family. You're his brother Merle, we're your family now too." she offered gently.

Merle took a few more steps towards her, causing her to back up further until he practically had her cornered. "You ain't my family bitch. You people ain't nothing to me." he said, so close to her now that she could smell the whiskey on his breath. "Ya know what I think, little mouse. I don't think he came back here for them. I think he came for you." he said, poking a finger roughly into her chest.

She tried to keep a calm front, but she was starting to get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. "We aren't like that, Merle. Daryl is my friend."

"The hell he is. I've seen the way he looks at you." He poked his finger harder into her chest before reaching up to run it along her jawline. "He looks at you like a starving man who just saw his first cheeseburger. So tell me, you fuckin my baby brother?"

Carol felt her stomach lurch as he ran his hand down her neck, stopping his movement just above her breast as he waited for her answer. Every cell in her body screamed for her to run, but her feet seemed to be stuck to the floor. Even in his drunken state, she knew that she couldn't overpower him. All she could do now was try and make him see reason. "No Merle, Daryl and I aren't sleeping together. But he is my friend. He does care about me. What would he think if he walked in and saw us like this?"

Merle responded with a sick smile forming on his lips. "Like what? Like this?" he asked, moving his hand down to roughly grasp her breast, giving it a hard squeeze as if to emphasize his point. Carol winced, but her reaction only seemed to encourage him. He dropped his hand down to her hip, gripping the fabric of the loose skirt she wore and hiking it up until she was bared to him, the only thing left covering her a thin pair of cotton panties. He slid his knife along her bare thigh, slipping it under her last protection and quickly slicing the fabric away. Raising his knife so that the point hovered mere inches from her throat, he leaned closer to whisper menacingly into her ear. "You make one sound and I'll slit your throat so quick you won't have time to make a second one."

Carol was paralyzed with fear. She couldn't stop this from happening. The only thing she could do now was survive. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to suppress the nausea that was forming in her stomach from the feeling of his hand roaming over her body. She felt herself being pushed back onto the desk, felt the pain as he grabbed the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, pushing her legs apart. She bit her lip as he gripped her hip tightly, digging his fingernails into her tender skin. He entered her roughly, slamming into her harder and harder until the pain was almost unbearable. After what seemed like an eternity, his pace slowed as he grunted a few times and shot his seed deep inside her aching core. He pulled himself out of her, wiping the come from his now flaccid member with the hem of her skirt. She could hear the sound of a zipper being closed and unsteady footsteps heading towards the door. She opened her eyes just in time to see Merle collect his bottle of whiskey and open the office door to leave. He turned back to her, a look so cold in his eyes it sent a shiver through her spine." You tell anyone about this, especially Daryl, I will fuckin kill you. Do you understand me?"

All she could do was nod weakly. He turned away then, walking through the door and pulling it shut loudly behind him. She lay there for a moment, a feeling of numbness enveloping her. She moved from her place on the desk, readjusting her clothes as she tried to cover herself. Picking up her torn panties from the floor, she shoved them in the pocket of her cardigan. She exited the room, finding her bags just outside of the door where she left them. Picking them up, she slowly walked back to the cell block, feeling nothing but relief when she found that the area was empty. Stopping only to drop her bags off near the sink and grab a fresh bowl of water, she entered her cell, pulling the makeshift curtain closed behind her. Setting the bowl of water down on the small table that held her few possessions, she grabbed the pillow from her bed, pulling off the pillowcase. She stripped out of her soiled clothes, stuffing them inside the case and dropping the bundle to the floor, kicking it under her cot. Picking up a clean washcloth from her table, she dipped it into the water, over and over as she tried to scrub away the smell of sweat and whiskey from her skin. By the time she was done, the water in the bowl was tinted red from the blood she had wiped away from the wound on her hip. She dressed herself in clean clothes, a thick pair of jeans and a large flannel shirt that she buttoned all the way up to her neck. Stepping from the cell, she walked back to the sink, rinsing out the stains from the cloth as she poured the water from the bowl down the drain. She felt nothing as she returned to her cell, drawing her knees to her chest as she sat down on the thin mattress of her cot. She stared directly ahead, focusing on nothing but a tiny mark she spied on the wall in front of her. She didn't know how long she remained that way, unmoving as a voice called her name from below. She didn't hear the footsteps quickly approaching her cell, or see the man slide the curtain open.

Daryl stood in the opening of the door, a worried look on his face. "Carol, didn't you hear me calling you? Have you seen Merle?" he asked, too preoccupied to notice that she wouldn't look at him. She simply shook her head, never moving her eyes from the spot on the wall. "We can't find him or Michonne. We've looked everywhere, but they're both gone. Can you please come help us look for them?"

She nodded, speaking with a calm, even tone. "I'll be right there."

"Thank you." Daryl said. In a flash, he was gone. She stood, finally breaking her gaze from the wall. She would do as he'd asked, stepping out into the corridor to begin the search for a man that she knew, deep down, was long gone. She had seen his true nature, and knew that if he had taken Michonne, the young woman didn't stand a chance.

Life went on for Carol, the day to day activities of life in the prison providing her with enough distraction that she was able to push the incident to the back of her mind most of the time. She had new people to care for, more work to do and most nights she was so exhausted she passed easily into a dreamless sleep. It almost seemed like a nightmare now, something that she remembered that wasn't quite real. Until the day she found a box of tampons in her bag and realized that they hadn't been used in over 3 months. Fear swept over her. She couldn't be. She was too old, almost 45. She took a small comfort in that fact. Her mother had been her age when her change came, and Carol tried with all her might to tell herself that was all this was. She had pushed her fears aside, convincing herself that she was simply entering the change of life. Until she felt the first flutter in her stomach, followed by more, day after day. She could feel her world begin to shatter around her. This couldn't be happening. How was she supposed to deal with this. It wasn't like she could get rid of it, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hide her secret forever. Everyone would know. Daryl would know. She could barely stand to look at him now, too full of shame to meet his eyes. But if he found out, she would never be able to be near him again. She felt a flash of anger break through her despair. He had taken so much from her. Her confidence, her sense of security, and her best friend. Curling herself into a ball on her small bed, she cursed him as she drifted to sleep. "Merle Dixon, I hope you burn in hell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please take the time to review. I need to hear something nice after all the feels in that chapter. Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to all my readers for the punch to the heart that I know the last chapter was. Don't worry though, it's going to get better for our favorite pair. I might even make you smile by the end of this chapter. With that said, read on and enjoy.

Daryl and Carol sat on the floor of the store room for what felt like hours. Neither one of them knew what to say to the other, their minds both full of turmoil. Carol had broken down, telling him every detail of what had happened to her at the hands of his brother. Daryl looked at the woman before him, no longer crying and her form a bit more relaxed as if revealing her secret had lifted a heavy burden from her. Her arms were still wrapped around her legs, her knees drawn tightly to her chest. Her eyes were downcast, her expression blank, as if she were focusing on something that Daryl couldn't see. She was a shadow of her former self and in that moment, Daryl loathed himself more than any man ever had before. This was his fault. His blind loyalty to his brother had nearly killed them all, but had destroyed the one person he cared about most in this world. He didn't know what to say, what to do. There was no way he would ever be able to repair the damage that his actions had caused. He had to say something. His voice cracked slightly as he spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I did this to you. I brought that sick son of bitch here. I knew what he was like, but I never thought. It ain't no wonder you can't look at me. You gotta hate me. I hate myself."

His voice pulling her from the darkness in her mind, her head jerked towards him, shocked to hear the words that had passed his lips. "I don't hate you. I can't look at you because I'm ashamed. I could have stopped him, I might have died trying, but I could have fought back. I didn't, I laid there and took it, just like I had for all those years with Ed. I wish sometimes that he had killed me. I'd be with Sophia, instead of stuck here, bringing another baby into this world when I wasn't even strong enough to protect my first one."

He felt sick to his stomach , disgusted by the words that she spoke. He could feel his temper begin to rise. "Don't say that. Don't you ever fucking say that again. It ain't your fault. None of it. You don't think you're strong? You're one of the strongest fucking people I've ever met. Life ain't given you nothing but shit and you've risen above it. Ed, Sophia, the goddamned end of the world. You've survived it all. You're gonna survive this. You just can't be thinking things like that. Thinking about dying. What about the people who need you, who care about you? What would we do without you?"

Carol watched as tears began to fill his blue eyes. He quickly brushed them away, looking at her with such pain on his face that she couldn't help herself. She unfolded her arms from around her legs, reaching over and grabbing his hand. "I'm not going anywhere, Daryl. I'm going to keep living for as long as god sees fit to let me. I just haven't figured out how to do that yet."

Daryl looked down to where her small hand was clutching his. His voice trembled as he spoke. "I just, I thought I lost you once and it damn near killed me. I ain't gonna lose you again."

Carol listened to his confession. She surprised herself when she felt her body begin to move towards his, his stunned blue eyes meeting hers for a brief moment as she wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his shoulder as she held him tightly. Her voice was soft as she whispered into his ear. "You aren't going to lose me. I promise."

He could feel himself begin to calm as the warmth of her embrace enveloped him. He moved his own arms to her back, resting his hands along the base of her spine. He couldn't believe this. Her life had been ruined because of him, and here she was, still trying to provide him some small comfort. He sat in silence for a moment, savoring the feeling of her small arms wrapped around him. He had missed her. Silently cursing himself, he pulled himself gently from her grasp. "You gotta promise me something. Promise me you ain't gonna shut yourself down again. If you need to talk, talk to me. I care about you. Ain't nothing gonna change that."

"I can't promise that. But I can promise that I'll try. Just be patient with me." she said sincerely as she pulled her arms from his neck and scooted away from him. "But you need to promise me something. Forgive yourself. You did what you thought was right when you brought him here. I don't blame you for the things he did, no one does. You can't blame yourself."

"Can't promise either. But I'm gonna try." he said, knowing deep down that no matter what, he would always carry the guilt he felt about what his brother had done.

Growing restless, his body sore from being seated on the concrete for so long, he stood, surprised to see Carol reach out a hand to him. Wrapping his hand around hers, he gently pulled her up from the floor. He quickly released her hand, only to have to grasp her waist as she stumbled a bit on her feet. "Whoa." he said as he steadied her. "You okay?"

Carol gave him a small smile. "I'm fine, just got a little lightheaded. Stood up too fast is all. You can let go now."

He moved to release her, but he found he was unable to. He couldn't stop himself as he slid his hand over her stomach, feeling not the softness that he expected, but the firmness of her well defined, if small, bump. "Does anyone else know about the baby?" he asked, slowly pulling his hand away.

"The only person I said anything to was Michonne. I needed a test and I knew she wouldn't ask any questions." she admitted.

"Have you seen Hershel yet? I mean, you're already starting to show. Ain't you supposed to have seen a doctor by now?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"I haven't told him yet. But it's not like I've never done this before. I know how I'm supposed to feel and so far, aside from some morning sickness, I've felt fine. Anyway, I still don't know what I'm going to tell him when he asks me who the father is. I can't very well tell him it was Immaculate Conception, now can I?"

Overwhelmed by a feeling he couldn't quite describe, Daryl grabbed her hand gently, pulling her along behind him as he headed for the door. Carol hesitated.

"Daryl, what are you doing." she asked, a slight edge of panic in her voice.

"You are going to see Hershel. You and that baby need to be checked out. Now come on." he said firmly, tugging on her hand once more only to be met by more resistance.

Carol looked at him as she tried to find her words. "Daryl, I'm not ready. What am I going to say. I can't tell them the truth. I just can't." she said quietly as tears threatened to escape from her eyes again.

Daryl squeezed her hand a bit tighter as he spoke. "You don't need to tell them nothing. It ain't their business if you don't want it to be."

Carol looked at him questioningly. What would they think of her if she walked in there, 5 months pregnant and refusing to reveal the identity of the father. She would be the talk of the prison and she wasn't sure she could handle that on top of everything else.

Daryl suddenly had a thought and it escaped his lips before he even had a chance to fully process it. "Tell them it's mine."

Carol was shocked by the words. "Daryl, I can't do that. It's not right. This baby isn't your responsibility and I can't ask you to lie to everyone for me."

"You didn't ask me. I want to do this for you. Anyhow, the way I see it, no matter how it was made, that little one inside you is my blood. That makes it my responsibility." he said softly, still holding her hand in his.

Carol's heart swelled at his small declaration, but her mind was still clouded by doubt. "Are you sure about this? I mean, things are going to change. Everyone is going to expect you to be a daddy to this child. Are you sure that you can do that, knowing the truth?" she asked, fearful of his answer.

"I can't tell you that I'm going to be the perfect father. But I can tell you that as long as I'm still breathin', I will do whatever I can to keep you both safe."

Carol couldn't help the small tear that rolled down her cheek. She leaned forward, stretching up on her toes to place a light kiss against his cheek "Thank you Daryl. No matter what you think, you are a good man."

Daryl pushed away the feeling of guilt that overtook him as she spoke the kind words. He didn't deserve her admiration. "You ready?" he asked her gently.

She took a deep breath before responding, tightening her grip on his hand. "Yes." she said finally, her voice coming out as little more than a whisper.

The two damaged souls exited the room together, walking hand in hand towards the cell clock and whatever lay ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please take the time to review. Thank you!!!


	5. Chapter 5

When the pair arrived at Hershel's cell, the kind doctor looked up from his book, a look of disbelief on his face as he saw Daryl and Carol standing before him, hands firmly clasped together.

"Something I can help you with?" Hershel asked finally after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

Hearing that Carol had not yet spoken, Daryl resolved himself to the fact that this was going to be up to him. "Can we talk to you? In private?"

Hershel noted the tone of seriousness in the younger man's voice and motioned for them to enter, rising to pull the curtain closed behind them. He directed them to sit down on the cot and moved himself to the chair opposite the bed. "What is this about?"

Carol suddenly found her voice. "I'm, um, I'm pregnant."

Hershel looked back and forth at the pair, not knowing what to think about her statement. He knew they were friends, but lovers? He couldn't have been more surprised. He pushed his shock aside as he assumed his professional voice. "How far along are you, roughly?"

"Just about 5 months now." she replied, her voice quiet but clear.

He wanted nothing more than to scold her for waiting so long to tell him, but forced himself to continue with his questions. "How have you been feeling? Any pain or bleeding?"

Carol shook her head in response. "Nothing like that. I had a little bit of morning sickness last month, but it's gone now. I feel fine."

Hershel was happy to hear that she was not having any problems. At her age, she could have easily had complications. "That's good to hear. I'm still going to have to examine you. Make sure everything is moving along okay."

"Alright." she said.

"I'm going to need you to get undressed and lay down. You can cover up with this," Hershel said as he handed her a sheet. He glanced at the silent man next to her. "Daryl, do you want to stay with her for the exam?"

Daryl could feel the heat rising in his cheeks at the thought of seeing her that exposed. He glanced over at her and when she saw the discomfort etched on his face, she gave him a small smile, silently giving him permission to leave. He nodded to her in thanks, and moved to stand, reluctantly releasing her hand. "Um, I'm just gonna wait outside. Don't wanna get in the way."

Hershel stood as well, motioning Daryl towards the door. "Carol, get yourself comfortable. I'll be right in." he said as he stepped outside.

Daryl leaned against the wall next to the door, eyes darting around the cell block. He had thought of something in the office, and though he didn't want to even say it he knew he had to ask. Merle hadn't been very picky about the kind of women he slept with prior to the end of the world. Their home had been host to an endless parade of strippers, barmaids, and even the occasional whore. Merle also hadn't been a fan of condoms, refusing to use any protection as it "took the fun out of fuckin'." As a result of his attitude, he had become a little too familiar with the local free clinic. Daryl felt his throat tighten as he realized that his bastard of a brother could have passed something on to her, to the baby she was carrying. He looked around the area once more, seeing that it was mostly empty. He leaned forward, speaking to the doctor in hushed tones. "Hershel, If I had something, like, you know, and I gave it to her, would there be any way to tell? Could it hurt the baby?"

Hershel was taken aback by his question. He had a strong urge to reach out and smack him upside his head, but he controlled himself. "That depends what something you're taking about. What do you have?"

"Nothing. I just…I had the clap a bunch of times, you know, before. I took the medicine they gave me for it. I just… Could that hurt the baby? Could it have messed me up?" he asked, feeling strange at the admission he knew wasn't really his to make. He sure as hell hadn't ever had anything before. He'd only ever been with 2 women in his life, awkward drunken encounters with Merle's castoffs and he had been so damn scared he had been tempted to put on a second condom, just in case.

"Son, as long as you were treated, then you should be fine. And so should she. It wouldn't have caused any permanent damage."

"Thank you Hershel." Daryl said, his eyes meeting the doctors with a look of genuine gratitude.

Hershel simply patted him on the arm and reentered the cell to begin Carol's examination. Daryl leaned his head back against the cool stone wall, closing his eyes. He was emotionally exhausted by the morning's events. His senses were on overload, as he started to fully grasp what had happened. He wanted to scream, to cry, to hit something. He wanted to bring his brother back to life, just so he could have the pleasure of cutting off his dick before killing him again. But more than anything he wanted to be there for Carol. He had meant every word of what he had said to her. He was going to help her, protect her, going to try to be the daddy that her baby deserved. He wasn't really sure yet how to do that, but he was going to have to figure it out and soon. His own childhood had been one of pain and torment. As a kid, he had often wondered why his daddy wasn't like the ones on TV. Strong men who were strict, but fair. Full of praise of their child's good deeds and fatherly advice. The only advice his father had ever given him was a warning to shut his mouth before he got the belt again. Hadn't been very good advice either, as the feeling of leather against his skin always came again, regardless of whether he shut up or not. He stood there, trapped in his past when a quiet voice reached in and pulled him out of the hell in his mind.

"Daryl?"

He opened his eyes to see her standing next to him. She reached out and gently took his hand in hers.

"I'm all done. Hershel wants you to come back in." she said, pulling him back into the cell. They sat back down on the cot across from Hershel. The silence was deafening as Daryl waited to hear the man speak.

"Carol and the baby are just fine. She is just about five months along, like she thought, and from what I can tell the baby is progressing normally. It's heartbeat is strong and as long as Carol takes proper care, it looks like we'll be seeing this little one sometime around the middle of July. But that is only if Carol takes care of herself. At her age, any number of complications could arise. She is already a bit underweight, and I know how hard she works around here, but I don't want her to push it. No more heavy lifting, no more late nights and early mornings. I want her to try and take it easy. She can still work, but her main job now is taking care of your baby. Do you understand?" he asked, directing the question to both of them.

They nodded in unison. Hershel, satisfied that his instructions had been taken to heart told them they were free to go, adding only that they needed to pick up some prenatal vitamins on their next run. As they thanked him and stood to leave, he called out one last thing. "Congratulations. It's about time the two of you got together." he said, truly pleased by the development.

"Um, thanks." Daryl muttered as he tugged lightly on Carol's hand. They exited the cell, standing together in silence for a moment. Daryl could see that Carol was once again lost in her thoughts and squeezed her hand a bit, causing her to meet his eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I suppose so. I just… I didn't really think about that. When everyone finds out about the baby, they are just going to assume that we are together. I was too busy worrying about myself to even think about what this is going to do to you. I know you and I aren't like that. I just… I hate myself for putting you in this position."

"Don't." he said firmly. "I ain't gonna tell you again, you ain't doin nothing to me. I knew damn well what I was getting into when I told you I was gonna take care of you. Anyway, fuck 'em. Let them assume whatever they want. You know what they say about people who assume."

She looked up at him with a more genuine smile on her face than he had seen in months. His heart swelled at the sound of the small giggle that escaped her lips. "No, tell me? What do they say about people who assume?"

"They make an ass out of you and me." he said, slightly embarrassed at having to finish the dumb joke. But the sound of her laugh quickly pushed the feeling away. This was the Carol he knew. And if that was what it took to bring her out then he would tell her every corny joke he knew. "It's nice to hear you laugh again." he said softly.

"It feels good to laugh again. I meant what I said too, I'm going to try my best not to shut myself away. I don't know why, It's just easier when you're around."

"Then I ain't going anywhere." he replied, his tone joking but the words completely serious.

"I hate to tell you this, but I think you're going to have to. I'm pretty sure you have guard duty this evening and if I don't get down to the kitchen and start making supper then we are both going to be in trouble." she said, reluctantly pulling her hand from his.

Knowing she was right, he watched as she turned to leave. He reached a hand out to lightly touch her shoulder. "Hey, are you going to say anything to anyone tonight, about the baby? I kinda want to be prepared when Rick punches me in the face for knockin' you up."

She smiled. "I think the news can wait another day or two. I don't think Hershel will say anything to anyone." she reassured him before walking away.

He watched as she made her way down the corridor. She had a lightness to her step that hadn't been there in a long time. She turned the corner and disappeared from his view. Stopping by his cell to retrieve his crossbow and his worn leather jacket, he headed down to the kitchen, wanting to grab a drink and a quick bite before he began his guard duty. On his way in, he passed by Beth, who shocked the hell out of him by wrapping her arms around him and giving him a quick squeeze. When she pulled away, she flashed him a big toothy smile. "I told everyone the good news. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be eavesdropping, but I heard you and Carol talking to Daddy and when I came back to the kitchen, Agnes asked me why I was smiling and it just came out. I'm so happy for ya'll." she gushed, practically bouncing up and down with joy.

Daryl was frozen. Everyone already knew. His first thought was to yell at the blond girl standing in front of him and tell her to mind her own goddamned business. He didn't though. She was a sweet kid and it wasn't her fault she had a big damn mouth. His second thought was Carol. How was she going to react when she found out that her secret was out. He muttered a quick thanks to the girl as he swiftly sidestepped her and dashed down the hallway towards the kitchen. Pausing in the doorway, he scanned the room until he saw Carol surrounded by some of the older women in the group. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that she seemed to be fine, smiling a bit as the elderly women fussed over her. It wasn't until he took his focus off of her that his own panic began to set in. He could now see that his presence had been noticed and every eye in the room was now directed at him.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, muttering to himself. "Here we go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all for reading. Please review!!!


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl braced himself as he saw Rick and Glenn coming towards him. They were going to kill him. The two men were fiercely protective of Carol and surely would not be happy about the fact that the mother of their group was about to be a mother again for real. He looked down at the floor, waiting for the inevitable impact from one of their fists. He deserved it, he thought in the back of his mind. He was surprised however, as instead of the blow he was expecting, he felt a pair of arms wrap tightly around him, practically lifting him from the floor. When Rick released him, he was greeted by a huge grin from the sheriff, as well as a slightly more cocky one from Glenn. Daryl's eyes darted back and forth nervously between the two men, waiting for one of them to say something. He was surprised when Glenn reached over and gave him a hard clap on the back before speaking.

"I'm impressed Daryl. We've been waiting so long for you and Carol to hook up that I was starting to think you were gay." he said teasingly.

Daryl couldn't help but shoot the younger man a slightly dirty look, but Glenn just laughed it off.

"Sorry, sorry." he said, raising his hands in a playful surrender. "I'm just messing with you. I mean it though, I'm impressed. I really didn't think you and Carol were ever going to move past flirting with each other. Now you guys have a baby on the way. I just wanted to tell you that I'm happy for you both. If anyone around here deserves a little happiness, it's you two."

Daryl was genuinely shocked to hear the words coming from Glenn's mouth. He hadn't been real fond of the Asian boy when they had first met, finding him to be a little too mouthy and a little too weak. But Glenn had come into his own. He was no longer just their go to town guy, but a man who would defend their small family just as hard as either Rick or Daryl ever could. He had even found his own happiness along the way, now the proud husband of Maggie. Daryl didn't really know how to respond to the kind words his friend had just spoken, so he simply nodded in response, a gesture they both knew meant thank you.

Rick spoke up next, his sentiments very similar to Glenn's. His eyes contained a small glimmer of sadness as he when he mentioned the baby, pregnancy and its possible complications still being a sore subject for him after all this time. But he conveyed genuine well wishes to Daryl, truly happy to see that he had finally stepped up and become what Carol needed.

The two men finally returned to their previous work, leaving Daryl standing there, mind full of new thoughts. No one even seemed surprised by the fact that he and Carol were now suddenly a real, albeit fake couple. Despite what Glenn had said, it wasn't like they had walked around openly flirting with each other. Aside from a close friendship, he and Carol had never progressed any further than a couple of teasing looks and a mutual understanding of each other. Hell, he'd had more physical contact with her today than he had in the two and a half years he had known her. And even if he had wanted more from her, it wasn't like she was the type of woman who would ever be with a man like him. She was too soft, too good and gentle and kind to ever want more from the dirty redneck than a friend and protector. He had often wondered how it was that they became friends in the first place. He had just assumed that they gravitated towards each other as a result of the abuse they had both received in their former lives. Two damaged souls seeking solace in each other's company.

He pushed the thoughts away as he saw that more members of the group were coming over to extend their congratulations and well wishes. The elderly woman, Agnes, the one who Daryl was starting to think was a bit of a busy body, actually reached up and pinched his cheek, telling him that he was a mentsh. Whatever the hell that meant. All in all, this was going better than he had expected it too, and he silently thanked god, or whoever was up there, for small favors. He smiled when he saw that Carol also seemed to be alright with the attention. She was seated at one of the small tables, flanked by Maggie and Michonne, but surrounded by most of the elderly women and even a few of the men. They were fussing over her, offering advice and stories from their own experiences as parents. Even Michonne offered a few words about motherhood. It was something that she had only ever mentioned once or twice before, having lost her children long before the dead rose.

Daryl watched Carol for a minute, and in the bright sunlight the large windows in the common room provided, he noticed something that he had missed before. She was glowing, with a warm smile on her face and the tense posture she had maintained for the past 5 months gone. He couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked, how enticing. He immediately froze as the thought entered his mind. He was angry with himself for even thinking about something like that. But the thoughts kept coming. He could see himself walking over to her, kissing the smooth skin of her neck, wrapping his arms around her, openly, for everyone to see. Claiming her as his. He shook himself, ridding his mind of the want that had suddenly come over him. "The fuck is wrong with you?" he thought to himself. "She tells you she was raped and now all you can think about is kissin' her. You ain't nothing but a piece of shit." He would have usually ended that thought by adding "like your brother." But as much hatred as he had for himself, he knew now that even on his worst day, he could never come close to the kind of evil his brother had possessed. He needed to get out of this room. The sound of the happy chatter was becoming overwhelming. Hoisting his bow higher on his shoulder, he sought out Carol's eyes in the crowd. She finally looked at him, her bright eyes more blue than he had ever seen them. She looked calm and happy. He gave her a shy smile before motioning to himself and the door, indicating to her that he had to go on watch. She returned the smile and gave him a small wave, letting him know that she was fine and that he was free to go. He nodded in thanks, exiting the kitchen and stepping out into the warm sun of the yard. Glad to finally be free of the noisy room, he took a deep breath of fresh air and walked over to the tower to begin his shift.

It was getting late when he finally returned to the prison. About 11:00 or so, judging by what time the sun had set. Thankfully, the kitchen was no longer the crowded place he had escaped earlier, but was now quiet, only a few of the old timers scattered about, some quietly reading, some just sitting there dozing off. Daryl made his way further into the room. He spied a plate of food on the counter with a small note next to it. He picked up the note, reading the words that were written in an overly loopy girlish scrawl.

Daryl,

I made dinner for everyone so Carol didn't have to.

Daddy yelled at me for blabbing your news to everyone.

I was wrong. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me.

Beth

He chuckled under his breath. Poor kid. He wasn't mad at her. He'd have to tell her that in the morning. He picked up the plate of food, not caring that it was cold. Grabbing a glass of water as well, he moved over to the table where he had sat with Lenny this morning. Sure enough, the old man was still sitting there with his book, his coffee now replaced by what smelled like bourbon. They had come across a small liquor store on one of their runs and hadn't seen the harm in grabbing a few assorted cases. Daryl acknowledged the man, before taking a large bite of his food. His impulse was to spit it back out but he was so hungry after his busy day that he choked it down, chasing it with a large gulp of water. He saw the look of amusement that had crossed Lenny's face. He couldn't help his response. "What?" he asked, his tone a bit more harsh than he meant for it to be.

Lenny just laughed. "That has got to be one of the worst things I have ever had the misfortune of eating. I saw the face you made. You know I'm right. All I can say is, that little blonde is lucky she's pretty cause she can't cook a lick. I like it a whole lot better when your woman is the one doin' the cooking."

Daryl pushed the plate aside, silently agreeing with the old man. It was hard to mess up venison and canned carrots, but somehow Beth had managed. He took another gulp of his water, trying to wash the taste away. Lenny lifted his glass towards the younger man.

"Want something a little stronger?"

Daryl just shook his head. The details of Carol's attack were still fresh in his mind and he found that he was as repulsed by the smell of the whiskey as she had been when she smelled it on Merle's breath. "No thanks, I'm good."

Lenny just shrugged his shoulders and took a small sip of the dark amber colored liquid. "More for me. I never have more than one. Helps me fall asleep."

Daryl nodded, understanding. He had often found that the only way he could shut his mind off enough to gets some rest was to drown it in booze. But that was before and now he couldn't take the chance that he would be distracted if something happened and he was needed. He drained the glass of water, taking it over to the sink and leaving it there with the plate he had scraped off into the trash. Better tell Beth tomorrow that she was forgiven, wouldn't want her to think that she had to keep cooking as penance for her mistake. He was about to head to his cell when he heard Lenny speak again.

"Didn't get a chance to tell you before, with all the people buzzin' around, but I'm awful happy for you. You're a lucky man. Got a baby on the way and a great gal like Carol. She's what I call a real lady, always takin' care of us the way she does. She's a keeper. Good thing you done grabbed her up, cause if I was 40 years younger, I'd have gone after her myself."

Daryl listened to the praise the old man gave Carol, and smiled a bit. It was all true, she was a good woman. Too good for him, he thought sadly. He thanked Lenny for his kind words and made his way up to his cell, passing by Carol's and spying a sliver of light escape from beneath the curtain that covered the door. She was still awake. He had been thinking about her all afternoon, finding that he missed her while he sat in the tower alone, guarding the prison walls. He had thought of something while he was out there and he knew that if he didn't do something about it now, he would lose his nerve. He dropped his things off in his cell, using the cloth and bowl of water on the table to wash off some of the dirt his skin had collected out in the field. He tried to calm the heavy beating of his heart as he approached her cell, lightly calling her name before slowly entering. He found her curled up on the bed, resting on her side with one hand tucked under her head and the other placed lightly on her belly. She was still awake and when she saw him enter, he could swear that he saw her eyes light up a little. She slipped the hand out from under her head, propping herself up on her elbow as she studied the clearly nervous man. She started to speak, but found that Daryl beat her to it.

"I was thinking. I mean…It might be good if…I thought that if it was okay with you, I might move it here." he said, not quite raising his eyes to meet hers. "You know, in case you need me, I'll be right here." he quickly added. He was surprised by her touch as she reached over and pulled him down, leaving him crouched by the edge of the bed. She raised her hand to his face, softly cupping his cheek. He could feel his blush but he didn't pull away, ever so slightly pressing his cheek against her warm fingers. She gazed into his eyes. "I feel safer when you're here." she said, answering his question. "Thank you Daryl, for everything. You are a good man and a good friend."

The thought had struck him again while she spoke. All he needed to do was lean forward a few more inches and his lips would meet hers. He would kiss her softly, deeply, the way a woman like her deserved to be kissed. But when he heard the word friend pass her lips, he stopped himself. That was how she saw him, as a friend, and he was thankful that she even considered him that after what had happened to her. He slowly pulled his face from her hands as he whispered to her. "I'll grab my stuff in the morning. Just go to sleep. I'm going to be in the bunk right above you. Don't worry about anything. I'll keep you safe."

Carol smiled at him as she laid her head back on the pillow. Her eyes were already starting to close, she was exhausted by the day's events. She whispered to him as she began to fade into slumber. "I know you will. You always do."

He watched her as form became more relaxed and her breathing steadied, telling him that she had fallen asleep. He studied her for a few minutes more before quietly slipping off his boots and placing them neatly next to hers at the end of the bed. Hoisting himself to the upper bunk, he laid there on his back, staring at the ceiling a few feet above his head. He couldn't help but think that she was wrong. He didn't always keep her safe. He couldn't keep her safe from Merle. But as he closed his eyes, he promised himself that he would never fail her again. He would be whatever she needed him to be and if all she could give him in return was friendship, then he would gladly accept it. He would keep her safe. No matter what.


	7. Chapter 7

2 Months Later

Daryl raced through the trees, swiftly dodging the low branches as he ran toward the sound that filled him with panic. She was screaming, blood curdling cries that seemed to echo all around him. The sound was so close now, he just had to push himself harder. He upped his pace, his heart pounding in his chest. The forest seemed endless as he ran, his crossbow slamming against his back, ready to be wielded at the first sign of danger. He spotted her first, her dress torn and dirty as she dragged herself along the ground, her limbs too weak to lift her now heavily pregnant frame. The smell of rotting flesh filled the air, and he could now see that there were walkers all around them, unrelenting as they descended upon her, focused on nothing more than their next meal. Whipping his bow off his back, he quickly loaded it and took aim, easily taking out the first one he could get, the one that had come dangerously close to grabbing her ankle. He rushed to her side, shielding her body with his own as he reloaded again and again, taking down biter after biter until the last one finally fell to the ground before them, arrow impaled straight through its eye. Realizing that the immediate danger was gone, he spun around to face her, running his hands up and down her arms, checking for bites or scratches. Finding none he took what felt like the first breath he'd taken since he heard her first scream. "Carol, are you hurt?"

She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I was so scared. I thought they were going to kill me. Kill the baby. You saved me." she said, throwing herself into his arms. She pressed her lips to his, slowly at first, carefully. He felt her tongue snake across his lips, demanding entrance. He parted them, meeting her tongue with his own, savoring the sweet taste of her mouth. She pulled back, breathing heavily with a burning lust in her deep blue eyes. He felt like her gaze was burning through his own, seeing deep into his soul. "I want you." she said as she pushed him onto his back, reaching down and grasping the hem of her dress to pull the garment over her head. She dropped it on the ground next to her, revealing all of herself to him for the first time. Her soft breasts were swollen and heaving above the rounded convex of her pregnant belly. She had not worn anything else under the dress, and the sight was enough to make him harden, thinking to himself that he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. She reached down, quickly unbuttoning his shirt, throwing it open to run her soft hands across his bare chest, pausing momentarily to lightly run her fingers over his hardened nipples. He moaned at the touch, his senses on overload. She smiled at him, sliding her hands further down to rest on the growing bulge in his jeans. Popping open the button, she pulled down the zipper, freeing his throbbing erection from its prison. Her eyes never leaving his, she raised herself, her hot center hovering over him as she lowered herself slowly, so very slowly…

Daryl jolted up in his bed, covered in a fine layer of sweat and panting heavily. Taking in his surroundings and hearing the soft sounds of snoring coming from below him, he realized that he was not in the woods, but in his cell. He flopped back down on the pillow, taking a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. It had been a familiar dream, running, always running towards the sound of her terrified cries. He usually woke up in tears at having reached her too late, finding her broken and battered body being devoured by the dead. It had returned to him nearly every night for weeks and every time he had woken in a frenzied state, slipping from his bed just to make sure that she was still there. Still safe. She always was, stretched out on her back, hands cradling her swollen stomach, her face peaceful as she slept. While he never seemed to be able to make it through the night without waking up, she had been sleeping better ever since he had moved in. In fact, she was dealing with everything better. In the two months since her secret had been revealed, they had settled into a comfortable routine. They spent more time together outside of their cell, sharing meals and free time together. She had flat out refused to stop working, unwilling to become a burden to the rest of the group. But she never refused him when he came along, offering to help her carry a basket or hang a load of laundry on the line. She talked more, smiled more, and had even begun to tease him again. She was especially fond of pointing it out to him whenever he blushed, usually as a result of some suggestive comment by Glenn about Carol and him. He didn't really find anything funny about it, but he loved hearing her talk so he let it slide. More than anything, she had started to seem genuinely excited about the baby. She was convinced that it was a boy, saying that she had carried higher with Sophia. She had even started making a list of things that she would need. Daryl had caught a glimpse of it, and judging by the length of it, he figured that he was gonna have to start storing his things in a different cell just to make room for everything. He chuckled a little at the thought. This baby was going to be spoiled rotten, that was for sure.

He sighed as his mind began to wander back to his dream. Instead of finding her dead, he had rescued her this time, being rewarded for his efforts by her throwing herself at him, making him feel things he had never felt before. He groaned as he realized that, much like he had in his dream, he had grown painfully hard. Slipping quietly from his bed, he glanced at Carol's sleeping form before sneaking from the cell, heading for the bathroom to take care of his little problem.

2 weeks passed since the night his dream had changed, and every night it returned, less about the walkers and more about her. And every night he woke hard as a rock and full of shame. He had no right to be thinking about her like that and he felt guilty every time he snuck from the cell, hiding himself in the bathroom and releasing his tensions.

One morning he woke later than usual, seeing that the sun had already risen in the sky. He had been so beat the night before he hadn't even removed his boots before collapsing onto his bed. Climbing from his bunk, he was greeted by the sight of Carol, sitting at the small table in the corner of the room, scribbling away at her ever expanding list. She turned when she heard him stir, smiling widely as she stood and closed the distance between them, handing him the piece of paper.

"I finally finished it." she said, a look of satisfaction on her face as he took the list from her hand and studied it.

"You really need all this stuff? I mean, you only got one kid in there, right?" he asked, astounded that one tiny person could require so much stuff.

"I just tried to remember everything I had needed for Sophia. I know you won't be able to find it all, but I figured I would write it all down, just in case you got lucky."

He glanced down at the list once more before looking back at the cheerful woman before him. "Can't promise anything, but I'll talk to the others and get a run planned. We'll find what we can."

She surprised him by stretching up on her toes and planting a kiss firmly on his cheek. "You're wonderful, you know that." she said as she dropped back to the soles of her bare feet and walked back over to her seat at the table.

His cheek burned where her lips had touched it. He wished for a moment that he'd had the balls to just turn his head and kiss her full on the lips, but he pushed it away. He was blushing and he knew it. He tried to sound nonchalant as he replied to the compliment she had given him. "Um, I think that's your hormones talkin' again. I'm gonna go see about makin' that run." he said, heading for the door. Taking a look at the list in his hand, he quickly popped his head back through the curtain.

"One question. What the fuck is a bumbo?" In response to his question, she smiled and playfully pitched her pencil at him. He ducked back out of the cell, just barely avoiding the sharp object. He smiled to himself as he walked through the cell block to find the rest of the group. Hormones were a bitch.

The run had been planned for the next day, Glenn having found a Babies R Us store about 40 miles away in a shopping mall that had been fairly clear of walkers the last time they had visited it. The rest of the day passed by peacefully, Daryl having gone out on a hunt with Carl. The boy was determined that he was going to learn to hunt just as well as Daryl could and though he wasn't that good yet, he couldn't help but admit that he was improving. They had bagged a few squirrels, two large rabbits and by some crazy stroke of luck, Carl had personally taken down a pretty good sized turkey. Carrying their kills home, they had come across a small group of biters, but between his bow and Carl's new machete, a gift to him from Michonne for his fourteenth birthday, they had taken them out with no trouble. When they had returned to the prison, Carl proudly presented a delighted Beth with the turkey, giving her a shy smile before hurrying away. Carol had been teaching the young girl how to cook, and thankfully, the lessons seemed to have stuck. Carol was seated at one of the tables, snapping the ends off of the green beans Maggie had brought in for her from the garden. She grinned when she saw Daryl enter, and waved him over.

"How you feelin' today? The kid behaving in there?" he asked, standing beside her and gesturing to her stomach.

"Not really. He's been kicking the hell out of me all morning." she answered, grabbing his hand and placing it in the middle of her bump. He could feel a persistent thump, thump thump coming from beneath her skin and even though it honestly creeped him out a little, he couldn't help but be fascinated. Kid was strong, that's for sure. He removed his hand gently from her belly, telling her that he had a double watch shift and probably wouldn't see her until the next morning. She jumped up, grabbing a bag and throwing some food and a bottle of water into it before sending him on his way.

As promised, it was nearly midnight when he returned to their cell. Quietly slipping into the darkened room, he kicked off his boots and quickly stripped out of his jeans and shirt, changing into the soft cotton sleep pants Carol had found. He jumped when he heard the deep sigh come from behind him. He turned around to find that Carol was sitting up in the bed, watching him. He was thankful for the cover of darkness as he realized that she had seen him changing. And since he didn't make a habit out of wearing underwear, she had gotten an eyeful. He couldn't help but wonder why she was still awake though. Was she waiting for him? Was something wrong? His fears were put to rest as she spoke.

"I can't sleep. My back hurts and my hormones are raging and I think the little man has decided to stick his feet directly into my ribcage." she said quietly, sounding quite miserable.

Daryl felt bad. He couldn't go to sleep knowing she was in pain. "Move over." he said, helping her to slide further into the bed as he sat down behind her. He placed his hands on the back of her neck, gently massaging the tense muscles, gradually repeating the action as his hands moved down her back. She was clad in a blue silk nightgown that Maggie had given her. It was a halter style that left her smooth pale back completely exposed. She had laughed when Maggie had given her the silly gift, but once she had tried it on she was hooked. She was always covered by the blanket on her bed by the time Daryl came into the cell, so it wasn't like wearing it was indecent. But what she didn't know was that she had a tendency to kick the covers off in her sleep. Daryl was quite familiar with this piece of clothing. Many nights, when he had slipped quietly out of his bed to go take care of himself, he had seen her, spread out on her bed, the thin garment revealing every curve and concave of her body to him. He had always picked up the blanket from where ever it had landed and draped it carefully back over her. But he had spent many of his, uh, personal visits to the bathroom picturing her just this way. And now here he was, so close to her, running his rough hands up and down her naked back. He could feel his cock twitch, and he closed his eyes, trying to think of something else, anything else. "Knock it off, you asshole." he thought. "You're just giving her a back rub. Nothin' more." But then she moaned softly and leaned back into his touch as he ran his hands over a tense spot near the base of her spine. All logical thought was thrown out the window as his cock began to swell. It took every ounce of self control he had not to spin her around and take her right then and there. His instinct was to flee, to run off to the bathroom again like the coward he was, and jerk off until the sound of her pleasure was erased from his mind. But he didn't get the chance to run. Carol laid down on the bed, moving herself close to the wall as she grabbed his hand and pulled him down to lay behind her. She was curled on her side, and she brought his hand around her waist to rest against her belly. He was frozen. What the hell say she trying to do to him. This woman was going to be the death of him. There was enough space between their bodies that she hadn't noticed the throbbing erection that was not very well concealed within his loose cotton pants.

"That felt so good. I don't think I've ever been this relaxed in my life." she said quietly.

Daryl didn't know what to do. His heart was pounding in his chest. What was she going to think of him? She was looking for some friendly comfort and here he was, poised to jump her bones. He was about to make up some excuse to get up, but before he got the chance, she squeezed his hand tighter, snuggling herself up to him, her bare back pressed against his bare chest. He could hear the gasp escape her lips as his swollen cock pressed hard against her ass. He was shocked when instead of jerking away, she actually thrust her bottom towards him, the contact sending a spark of pleasure running through his whole body. He couldn't move. He couldn't talk. His mind was so clouded with mixed emotions that he barely heard her speak.

"It's okay Daryl. I need this, you need this." she whispered into the darkness. She moved his hand from her stomach, sliding it upwards to rest on her swollen breast. She lifted her hip slightly, pulling up the hem of her nightgown until it rested just below the curve of her belly. She slowly reached behind her, brushing her fingers over the bulge in his pants before tugging at his waistband with desperation, lowering them just enough to allow his erection to spring free from its fabric prison. She moved herself slightly, spreading her legs enough that his tip was now only inches away from her opening. He could feel the heat radiating from her body, enticing him closer. But he couldn't find the courage to move.

"Please?" she said in a breathy whisper, longing clearly present in her voice.

He found that his body began to move on its own. He ran his hand across her breast, rolling the hard nipple between his fingers as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the delicious smell of her soap, a mixture of vanilla and cherry blossoms that made his mouth practically water. Pressing his lips to her warm skin, he knew he had to taste her. He ran his tongue along her neck, finding that she tasted as wonderful as she smelled. She moaned at the feeling, breathing more heavily as he moved his free hand to her hip, caressing the curve as he began to inch his own hips closer and closer. He was met with no resistance as he entered her, her opening already wet and waiting for him. She was so tight around him, so hot that he nearly finished right then and there. But all he could hear was her whispered plea in his mind. "I need this." He pulled himself out, regaining his composure before pushing back in with more force. Her whimpers and moans drove him as he tightened his arm around her chest, pushing into her, increasing his speed, going deeper and deeper until her whimpers turned to muffled cries of pleasure. He could feel her walls begin to quiver around him. Pushing himself deep inside of her, she covered her mouth as she cried out, finding her release as he found his own.

They lay there in silence, both panting as aftershocks of their shared pleasure quaked through them. Once the haze had lifted, Daryl once again found that he couldn't move. Carol slid forward, releasing him from the warmth of her center. She lifted her hip again, sliding her gown back until it fully covered her. She lifted her hand to cover his, moving them up to rest against her heart. He could feel the pounding under his fingers being to slow as her breathing began to steady. Finally finding the ability to move had returned, he carefully tucked himself back into his pants. He wanted to move, to climb in to his own bed, stare at the ceiling and try and figure out what the fuck had just happened. Move where he couldn't feel her skin still pressed to his, where he couldn't smell her hair, and her sweat, and her arousal. But when her hand tightened around his, he knew that no force on earth could tear him from this spot. He didn't know yet what this meant, but he was going to enjoy it while he could. He pulled the blanket over them, heart skipping a beat as she snuggled against him. He could feel his eyes begin to close, and the last thing he heard before he fell asleep was the sweet sound of her voice.

"Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please take the time to review. Thanks!!!


	8. Chapter 8

Daryl pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window, mesmerized by the white lines rushing past his eyes. Maggie had offered to drive the truck when they had loaded up for their run in the early morning hours, and he was thankful. He was in no state to be driving. He watched the trees whipping by his view, trying to distract himself from the storm in his head.

He had woken slowly, warm under the blanket and pressed against something soft. He thought for a split second that he was still dreaming, wrapped around Carol, bodies joined in a soft field of grass under the warm rays of the Georgia sun. His eyes jolted open when he realized that they were not in the imagined place in his mind, but laying together in her small bed in their dim cell. The memories of the previous night rushed back to him. Her soft skin, her gentle whimpers, her pleading question. "I need this." He was still pressed lightly against her back, his hand no longer held tightly in hers but resting on the curve of her belly. She was still asleep, breathing steady, with a peaceful look on her beautiful face. Two very conflicting thoughts entered his brain at the same time. The first one was to wrap his arms around her, kiss her until she woke, and pleasure her until they were forced to leave the warm bed. The second thought was darker, more in line with his usual way of thinking. He wanted to run. Wanted to hide from her until the shame of what he had done was gone from his mind. He couldn't believe that he had done this. It was wrong. It wasn't what she deserved. He wasn't what she deserved. He thought back to a few days prior, when he had overheard a conversation between Carol and Maggie, the women sitting together near the garden, giggling like they were 13 again, instead of their respective 45 and 26. Maggie had been teasing Carol about Daryl, not being mean but simply making jokes about what it must be like to be with the rough redneck. Carol had played along, laughing genuinely when Maggie had asked her if he still had the necklace of walker ears. But when Maggie had changed the topic from Daryl's rough edges to their assumed love life, he had seen the gentle blush rise in Carol's cheeks. She simply smiled in response to most of Maggie's questions, shaking her head gently and telling the young woman that a lady never kisses and tells. But one of Maggie's inquiries had caught his attention, especially when he saw the way that Carol responded.

"Is it true that you get really horny when you're pregnant? I had a friend once who had told me that when she and her boyfriend had their baby, she couldn't get enough. It was all she thought about for days at a time, and her boyfriend had actually had to get her a toy just because he couldn't keep up. I'm only asking because if Glenn and me ever decide to have a little one, I don't want to be turned into some drooling sex slave for nine months." Maggie said jokingly.

He saw the way that the redness in her cheeks had intensified as her gaze shot down to the ground. "It's true." she admitted, keeping her eyes firmly aimed at her feet. "It's like an itch that won't go away, you scratch and scratch but it just keeps itching. I'm losing my mind from it."

Daryl felt guilty as he stood behind the corner of the shed they had built to store their gardening supplies. He wasn't supposed to be hearing this. It wasn't his place. A fresh wave of guilt washed over him as an image entered his mind, a vision of Carol alone in their cell, spread out on the bed, writhing in pleasure as she "scratched her itch." He felt like a piece of shit. Trying to shake the image from his mind, he quickly rushed away from his hiding place, going completely unnoticed by the two laughing women.

His thoughts returned to his current situation. He was still here, laying in bed with her, his heart beating rapidly as he began to panic. What the hell had he done? She had never given him any indication before that she had been attracted to him, had wanted him like that. She was his best friend, the woman he had sworn to protect, the woman who was pregnant with the child of his evil rapist of a brother. He knew that what had happened between them was a moment of hormonal weakness on her part, and he felt sick as he realized that he had taken advantage of it, used her to fill his own needs. He suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. She would never forgive him for this. After everything she had been through in her life, the years of beatings from Ed, the savage attack at Merle's hands. The way her eyes darkened when he knew she was thinking about them. He didn't think he could survive if she ever looked at him that way, like he was nothing more than another monster who had used her for his own pleasure. He slipped his hand from her stomach, carefully sliding out from under the covers, leaving her alone in the bed. Quietly picking up his clothes, boots and his crossbow, he made his escape, hating himself more than he ever had in his whole miserable life.

"Daryl?...Daryl?...We're here."

He was pulled from the torment in his mind as he felt the truck come to a halt, having arrived at the small shopping mall where they were planning on gathering supplies. He stepped from the vehicle, hoisting his weapon on his shoulder as he scanned the area and as promised, he didn't see a single walker anywhere. Collecting their empty bags from the back of the truck, Glenn wished them luck as he sprinted down the sidewalk towards the hardware store, stopping only to give Maggie a kiss before departing. Daryl and Maggie made their way into the large baby store, weapons at the ready. After finding that the building was clear and largely untouched, Daryl pulled the long list from his pocket. Tearing it in half, he handed Maggie the smaller portion and the two split up, heading in separate directions as they roamed the aisles in search of the things that Carol had requested. Twenty minutes later, Daryl found himself in need of a shopping cart he discovered that all three of the empty bags he had brought with him were now overflowing with various odds and ends. He had found nearly everything on her list, aside from the bumbo, still not sure what the fuck one was. He found a cart left in one of the aisles, and quickly deposited his bags into it, moving on to where he found a large display of furniture. He located the portable crib she had asked for and was about to walk away when he spotted one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture he had ever seen. Prior to the end of the world, the crib would have cost him more money than he brought home in a month from his lowly job as a motorcycle mechanic. Large and shiny, it was made from a rich dark wood, covered in intricate carvings of leaves and vines and what he found upon closer inspection to be Cherokee roses. A small surge of sadness came over him as he thought back to the time when the simple flower had meant so much to Carol, giving her hope that her little girl would be returned to her. "Just another way I failed her." he thought to himself. He was so lost in the moment that he didn't hear the low groan that was emitted by the creature behind him. By the time the smell of decaying flesh hit his nose, it was too late. He spun around only to be knocked to the ground by the large walker. He hit the concrete floor with a thud, struggling to escape from beneath its massive form while trying to force it's snapping teeth further away from his vulnerable flesh. He must have set his bow down when he had been inspecting the carvings on the crib, and in the struggle he now found that it was out of his reach. He silently cried out, begging god or whoever was up there to help him, allow him to return to Carol and their baby. He had managed to free his arm from the biter's weight and he finally unsheathed his buck knife, driving it cleanly through the ugly bastard's skull. It collapsed on top of him, the smell making him want to vomit. Showing the corpse aside, he bolted across the store, calling out for Maggie. Finding her in an aisle full of baby clothes, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath as she rushed over to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, fear on the edge of her voice.

"Walker…snuck up on me…..killed the fucker….You okay?" he panted between deep gulps of air. He was getting too old for this shit.

Maggie nodded, her face full of concern as she watched the shaken man in front of her. "I'm fine. I haven't seen any more of them. It might have just been the one." she offered. "I was just picking up the clothes that Carol asked for. I already got about 50 packs of diapers and wipes. Filled two carts up." she said, pointing over to where, sure enough, there were two carts piled high with packs of huggies and pampers.

Once his breathing had steadied, he wandered over to the piles of clothes that had Maggie had chosen. Standing out among the tiny blue shirts and pants was a small pink dress, made of some kind of silky material and covered in tiny bows. It was way too small to fit Asskicker, who was growing like a weed and he didn't think that she would have picked it up for Carol. She was so convinced that her baby was going to be a boy, she would have bitten your head off for suggesting otherwise. He picked it up before looking at Maggie questioningly. She smiled shyly as she reached out and took the garment from his hand.

"That one is mine. As it turns out, Me and Glenn are going to be having a baby too."

He was happy for her. He knew that she and Glenn were going to be good parents. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain that the couple was perfect for each other. They were more in love than any two people he had ever met, more protective of each other. Together they were strong, but separate them, put one in danger and the other would become more dangerous than a whole pack of walkers.

He congratulated her before advising her that they should get going. She started to pack the clothes into her bags, and told him that she would meet him at the front of the store in 5 minutes. As he made his way back to where he had been attacked and left his supplies, he suddenly had a thought. When the walker had come close to ending his life, he had prayed that he would survive to return to Carol and the baby. Their baby. He had called Carol's baby many things. The baby, the kid, even called him a little ninja once when Carol had joked that it felt like her spine was being karate chopped. But he had never referred to the child inside of her as his. Not to himself anyway. Realization hit him with so much force it nearly knocked the breath from his lungs. He loved the baby. Didn't just feel a need to protect and provide for it, but genuinely loved it. He was struck by a second wave of awareness as he realized that not only did he love this child, he loved the woman who carried it. No thought had ever scared him more than the one he just had. He had known for a long time that he cared about Carol, that he was attracted to her, that he wanted her, that he felt a need to protect her. He had known that he wanted to make up for the damage that his brother had done to her. But for the first time, the word love had entered his brain and once it was there it was firmly planted. There was no removing it. He tested the word out on his tongue, feeling strange as he whispered to himself. "I love Carol."

Love was not an emotion that he could say he was familiar with. Fear, pain, rage, loyalty, lust. He understood all of those far too well. But, aside from his long dead grandfather, love was not something that he had ever come across in his 45 years on this planet. He had neither received it nor given it, and he had felt no great loss at that fact. But here it was, plain as day and staring him straight in the face. He loved Carol. He felt more for her than he had ever felt for anything in his life and it simultaneously filled him with hope and scared the hell out of him. The ever present voice in the back of his head was quick to chime in, reminding him that just because he loved her didn't mean she felt the same. She was too good for him, too perfect to ever see him as anything more a friend, a protector, an occasional fuck buddy, and above all the reason why she was raped. He usually listened to that voice, suppressing any hope that entered his thoughts and accepting that things were what they were and there was no point in trying to change that. Today though, he surprised himself by telling the doubting voice to shut the hell up and fuck off.

Collecting his things from where he left them, he stopped only to grab another box, the one containing the crib that had nearly killed him. He headed towards the front of the store, seeing that Maggie was waiting for him with a smile on her face.

"Look what I found!" she said cheerfully, holding up 2 white boxes that contained 2 dozen each of "It's a Boy!" and "It's a Girl!" cigars. They shared a look before both spoke up at the same time.

"Lenny."

Daryl pushed his cart towards the door, pausing as his eye was caught by a display of large oddly shaped plastic objects. "What the fuck is that thing? he asked, not realizing he had said it out loud. Maggie, looking equally confused, peered down at the tag on the bottom of the shelf. "It's a bumbo seat." she answered.

He couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips as he picked up a red one and dropped it on the top of his loaded cart. Maggie gave him a curious look as they exited the store, making their way over to where Glenn was waiting by the truck. Feeling her eyes on him, he gave her a sideways look, simply muttering "Private joke."

They loaded their loot into the back of the truck quickly, securing the tarp over the huge pile of baby gear and the tools and supplies that Glenn had gathered from the hardware store. Daryl was in a very Un-Daryl mood, teasing Glenn about his impending arrival, making the younger Asian man's face turn a bright shade of red. It was a good day. Daryl was firm in his resolve, he loved Carol and he was going to tell her the minute they returned back to the prison. He continued to tell his subconscious to shut the fuck up, not allowing the possibility of rejection to enter his mind. He was just about to get in the truck, when he had an idea. He told Glenn and Maggie to wait for him, that he would be right back. He had seen the small store when they had come here previously and he knew now what he had to do.

"I need to pick up one more thing, for Carol."


	9. Chapter 9

Daryl was getting increasingly more nervous as they drove down the long stretch of secluded county highway. He had made a decision and he was determined to follow through with it. But the voice of doubt in his mind was growing louder and louder as they neared the prison gates, getting harder to suppress. It was telling him not to do this, that there was no way that she felt the same for him. She had said it herself, many times. He was a good friend. She was grateful to him for everything he had done for her, but maybe that's all that was there. Friendship and gratitude. But as he thought back to the night before, the way she had whimpered at his touch, the way she had wrapped herself in his arms after her need had been fulfilled. All of the little things she did for him, the way she looked at him. There had to be more. He fingered the small box in his pocket. He was going to tell her how he felt, and if she felt the same, then he was going to do it. He was going to drop to one knee and beg her to spend the rest of her life with him, to be his wife and to let him be a true father to their child. But if she didn't feel the same, if she didn't love him, he hadn't really figured that part out yet. He would give her space, tell her that no matter what he would protect her and help her raise the baby, but that he would do it on her terms. He would give her whatever she needed from him, take whatever she allowed him to have. He tried to push the latter scenario to the back of his mind as the gates of the prison came into view.

Pulling through the gate as it was opened for them, he swept his eyes over the yard, not spotting her. The truck came to a stop outside of the entrance to their cell block. He jumped from the cab, swiftly unloading the supplies from the bed of the vehicle. All of the baby's supplies were placed inside of the portable crib, arranged by Maggie to resemble a large gift basket. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she saw that not only had they gotten everything she had asked for, but even some things she had forgotten. But that was going to have to wait. He had to do this now, before he lost his nerve. Depositing the crib in the kitchen, he stopped only to drop the two boxes of cigars in front of a delighted Lenny, not even waiting long enough to hear the thank you that followed. He raced through the hall that led to their cell. He skidded to a halt as he passed by the plate glass window in front of the security office. He stepped back to find his reflection pretty horrifying. He was filthy, his shaggy brown hair matted to his forehead and sticking up at odd angles in the back. He was sweaty, and his skin and torn clothing were splattered with the blood from the walker he had dispatched at the store. He chuckled to himself at the thought that entered his mind. "You walk in there looking like this and she ain't gonna want to marry you, she's gonna want to stick her knife in your brain." That thought was immediately joined by another one. "You ain't never gave a damn what you looked like before, what the hell is she doing to you?"

He entered the cell block, sneaking past the closed curtain of their shared cell to the one that he had previously occupied. No one else had moved into it and he was thankful as he found that some of his possessions were still piled in the corner. He rifled through them until he found some fresh clothes. He picked up a soft blue cotton shirt, actually surprising himself as he found the sleeves still intact. He grabbed a pair of jeans, full of holes but clean, and made his way down to the shower room. Taking what was probably the fastest and coldest shower of his life, he scrubbed away the layers of grime from his skin, lathering up his greasy hair with the bar of soap. Once the dirt and blood were rinsed from his scarred body, he dried himself, running his fingers through his long hair, trying to tame it. Carol always teased him about the way it hung in his eyes. As he stood there in front of the row of mirrors, he could hear an unwelcome voice enter his mind.

"Well look at you Darylena, ain't you pretty? Getting all gussied up to go see that bitch? Don't know what for, it ain't gonna change nothin. She don't want you. Why the fuck would she want your ugly ass after she been with me. She loved it, couldn't get enough of old Merle. Don't care what she said, I was the best fuck she ever had."

Doing something he had never had the courage to do before, he spoke back. "Fuck you Merle. She didn't love it, you made her sick. You forced her, you evil son of a bitch. You stole something from her that she won't ever be able to get back. You are nothing but a simple minded, cowardly, pathetic rapist. But now you're dead. You ain't here no more to ruin everything you touch. You can't fucking control me. I'm gonna live my life and there ain't a goddammed thing you can do about it from hell. I hope Satan is fucking you up the ass right now, making you hurt the way you hurt her."

The voice didn't return. It wouldn't return again.

Dressing himself in the clean clothes, he took one last look in the mirror, shocked to find a good looking guy staring back at him with a happy expression on his face. "I clean up pretty damn good." he thought, a little smug. He carefully extracted the ring box from his filthy old cargo pants, and placed it in his pocket. It felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. He took a deep breath as he realized it was time. It was now or never. He made his way back to their cell, pausing in front of the door. "Stop being a pussy. You can do this. You need to do this. It's just Carol." he reassured himself.

Pushing aside the curtain, he stepped into the room, letting it fall shut behind him. Sunlight was streaming in through the small window near the ceiling, falling on where she lay. She was stretched out on her back in the bed, hands resting on her belly. Her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths. Having long outgrown all of her jeans, she was dressed in a dark blue dress, a soft cotton garment that was held up by thin straps tied into bows on her shoulders. It gathered tightly around her breasts and draped over her pregnant form, coming to rest just above her knees. Her sleeping face was calm, framed by the loose curls of her now shoulder length hair. His breath caught in his throat. He had always found her attractive, but he was seeing her now in a whole new light. He saw everything, the tiny mole on her collarbone, the sprinkling of light freckles scattered across her chest and shoulders, the soft curves of her legs, even the flecks of crimson polish on her toes. She was perfect. He sat down lightly on the edge of the bed, not yet wanting to wake her from her slumber. He watched her, seeing that her calm expression was quickly being replaced by another, more distressed one. She began to thrash softly around on the bed, her brow crinkled as her dreams overtook her. Daryl couldn't stand to see her like this, but being all too familiar with nightmares himself, he knew better than to wake her. He simply brushed her hair back from her face, waiting for it to pass. He couldn't stop himself however, when she began to mumble to herself.

"Stop….Don't…..Please…You're hurting me…..Merle."

He shook her lightly by the shoulders, calling her name softly. She jolted up in the bed, eyes wide with fear. But as her gaze zeroed in on him, the fear subsided, only to be replaced by a mixture of hurt and anger. She jerked away from him, glaring at him with an expression that scared the hell out of him.

"How could you? How could you do that to me? After everything that's happened. I trusted you." she said, accusation dripping from her words.

He was wrong. He had never been more wrong in his life. He felt like a fucking idiot and a piece of shit and he wanted to crawl inside of himself and die. His initial reaction this morning had been right. She had a moment of weakness, nothing else, and he had taken advantage of her. He had used her and she knew it. He didn't know what to say. She was sitting there, eyes burning as she waited for him to answer her. He said the only thing he could, knowing that it wasn't enough.

"I'm sorry. I can't say anything else. I'm sorry. I'll go, I'll leave you alone." He was crushed as he moved to stand, but was quickly seated again as her small hand swung towards him, balled into a fist that connected hard with his arm.

"You aren't going anywhere. Not again. We have to talk about this. I want to know why you did what you did. How you could betray me like that?"

He could feel his temper beginning to rise, the throbbing pain in his arm from her right hook not helping matters. He didn't know what to say, but he tried his best to control the volume of his voice as he replied.

"What do you want me to say? I'm only human, I can only take so much. I'm with you all the time, day and night. Everything I do is for you, to protect you and that baby. I thought I could handle it, I thought I could control myself. But I can't. I can't do this anymore. I don't know what you want from me." he said, louder than he meant to, staring intently at her. The anger began to fade from her eyes, leaving behind only the hurt. She looked small, broken. She broke eye contact, looking down at her stomach. Her voice was shaky when she finally spoke.

"I understand. I was stupid to think that this would last forever. I just, I thought, I know I'm nothing special….but you seemed happy. I thought everything was okay. I was wrong. I just wish you would have told me. This was my burden and I had no right to lay it on you. You're here because you think you owe me something and I'm telling you right now that you don't. I shouldn't have let last night happen, it was obviously a mistake. Just go, please just go. You don't want to be here, you made that clear this morning when you snuck out and left me alone. I just want to know why. I opened myself up to you, I trusted you. And you couldn't even stick around long enough for me to explain myself. Do I mean that little to you? Am I just another obligation to you? Please, I need to know?"

He watched as small wet spots started to appear on her stomach, tears silently falling from her eyes. Her words replayed over and over again in his head as he sat there, frozen and too afraid to speak. She wasn't angry at him for what had happened, for the night they had spent together. She was angry at him for leaving. She thought he had regretted it, that he had simply done it to fill a physical need. She felt betrayed. She was blaming herself, setting him free from the burden that she assumed she and the baby were to him. She thought that's why he was here, as penance for his sins. She thought he didn't care.

He reached over, placing his hand under her chin. He forced her tear filled eyes to meet his, not allowing her to look away. "You're wrong. You are special. I left this morning because I thought you would hate me for what we did. I thought I had taken advantage of you. I was wrong to leave, I shouldn't have done that. But I was scared, okay? I couldn't stand to think about you waking up and regretting everything. And I am not going to tell you this again. You are not a burden to me. I ain't here because I have to be, I'm here because I want to be. I want to be here for you and I want to be here for your child. You think you don't mean anything to me? You mean everything to me. I have never felt anything in my life as strong as what I feel for you. I love you Carol. Can't you see that? But you are not going to feel guilty about what we did. It was the best night of my life. If that's all you want from me, then fine. I'll protect you and take care of you. But I'm not going anywhere." he said, eyes pleading with her to understand.

She sat there for a moment in shock. "What did you just say?

"I said I love you, okay? I'm fucking in love with you. You and that baby are the best thing that has ever happened to me in my whole miserable fucking life. And I know you don't feel the same way about me, but I don't fucking care. I swore to you that I was going to take care of you, and I meant it. I don't expect anything from you, and if what happened last night never happens again then that's fine. But I'm not leaving. Do you understand me? I will take whatever you want to give me and I'll be happy with it. But you ain't pushing me away. I'm not losing you and that child. My child." He felt a tear stream down his face. He reached to brush it away, but stopped when Carol reached up to do the same. She brushed her thumb across his cheekbone, studying him. She stared into his eyes, seeing the desperation they held.

"You think I don't love you? How could you think that? I have loved you since the day you brought me a rose in a bottle and promised me you would find my little girl. I loved you the day you almost died trying to keep that promise. I loved you the first time you saved me, riding your bike into a herd of walkers just to get to me. I loved you when you lifted me into your arms and carried me from the room where I thought I was going to die. I loved you the day you told me that you would help me raise my baby. I loved you last night, when you made me feel things I never thought I could feel. I loved you every day in between. I love you now."

She closed the distance between them, bringing her lips to his for the first time. It was slow, gentle, timid. Her words washed over him. She loved him. That was enough to bring him from his shocked state. Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he pulled her closer, as close to him as her belly would allow. He kissed her, softly at first, unsure, but as his mouth explored hers he felt her lips part, her tongue gliding lightly across his lips, begging for contact. He obliged her, opening to allow her tongue to meet his. They were connected, hands roaming over each other's bodies. They kissed like they might never get the chance again. When they finally broke apart, each gasping for air, their eyes locked, a fire that neither had ever known burning bright in a sea of blue. She reached down to grab the hem of her skirt, pulling it upwards as her eyes pleaded with him. He placed his hands over hers, stilling her movment and sliding the dress back down her thighs.

"No."

It was all he could say. He wanted her, every cell in his body was screaming her name, reaching out for her. But not like this, not some quick fuck. He was going to do this the right way, the way she deserved. He stood from the bed, pulling her up with him. Standing before her, he ran his hands slowly up the length of her arms, stopping when he reached the thin straps of her dress. He slowly untied the bows that held them up, placing his lips on the bare skin of each of her shoulders as the strings fell. He slid his hands lightly down to the curve of her breasts, exposing them as he pulled gently downwards on the soft blue fabric. He kissed the hard peak of each nipple as he lowered the garment further, releasing it to glide over her swollen belly and fall to her feet. Her hands immediately moved to cover herself, not from modesty but from a need to hide. He wanted to see everything, every inch of her body. He was quick to stop her, locking her fingers in his own and moving them to rest on her hips. He held them there as he lowered himself, leaving a soft trail of kisses down her stomach as he dropped to his knees in front of her. He could smell her, the evidence of her arousal leaving him lightheaded and aching for a taste. Hands still grasping her hips, he moved her backwards on his knees, sitting her down on the bed. He kissed her, gently guiding her back until she was lying down with her thighs hanging over the edge of the mattress. Pulling himself from her lips, he kissed his way back down the length of her body, pausing at each breast to draw her hard nipple into his mouth, gently sucking as she whimpered above him. Driven by her small sounds of pleasure, he moved lower, stopping to place tender kisses on the small scars that seemed to be scattered across her form, cuts and small burns left by Ed and long ago healed. He finally found himself at the object of his desire. He lifted her hips gently, lowering her small blue panties. He pulled them down her legs, fingers brushing her smooth calves as he removed them and dropped them at his side. Her body was trembling now, ready for him as she slowly parted her legs, revealing herself to him for the first time. He leaned in, nuzzling his cheek against the smooth skin of her inner thigh as he inhaled her scent, making him grow harder than he had ever been in his life. He wanted to touch himself, to reach down and free his throbbing cock from his tight jeans, but he didn't. This was for her. Parting her slick pink folds with his fingers, he studied her womanhood. He could see her entrance and he gently slid two fingers in, receiving a soft moan from her as he brushed over a small spot inside of her that made her legs shake. He explored that spot a bit further, causing her to tremble even harder and her quiet moaning to become louder. He smiled to himself, he had never done anything like this before and her signs of pleasure just pushed him harder. He removed his fingers, slipping one into his mouth and sucking her sweet taste from it. She didn't have a chance to mourn the loss of the feeling, as he swiftly replaced them with his tongue. She cried out when he entered her, his tongue plunging deeper to lap up more of her juices. She was shaking now, her hips gently thrusting towards him, trying to get him deeper, to get more. Sliding his tongue from her core, he trailed the tip up towards her now swollen nub, flicking gently over and over against the hard button until she cried out his name, her orgasm consuming her. It was the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

Rising from his place on the floor, he moved to lie beside her, watching the way her flushed body would twitch every few seconds as a look of pure bliss clouded her soft features. He leaned in, gently pressing his lips to hers, smiling to himself as her eyes began to regain focus and look deeply into his own. Not knowing what else to say, he reached out to brush the hair from her forehead and whispered "Hi."

"Hi." she breathed, her blue eyes never straying from his. They stayed this way for what felt like forever, simply watching each other. Daryl was finally distracted by the now almost painful throbbing in his pants. She knew, he didn't have to say a word. Using his arms to pull herself up, she reached over to unbutton his shirt, slipping it past his arms after the last button had been popped. He suddenly felt the urge to cover himself, to shield her eyes from the scars of his tortured past. He couldn't do that. She had revealed her pain to him, he had to do the same. She brushed her fingers over one of the worst ones, a long jagged mark in the middle of his chest, given to him by his father when he had forgotten to take the trash out to the curb. She looked at him with understanding in her eyes, and brought her fingers up to her lips, kissing them before returning them to his scar. No words needed to be spoken, that had said it all.

She moved her hands down, sliding a finger beneath the waistband of his jeans, lifting the fabric from his skin as she slid the button from its hole and pulled gently on the zipper. He lifted his ass from the bed as he wriggled free of the pants, the cool air in the cell hitting his skin as he had once again forgone underwear. He was exposed, all of the horrors on his body now visible to her. She looked at him, not with pity in her eyes, but heat. Lust. She wanted him, and as she began to move herself towards him, he could feel himself twitch in anticipation. She slipped a leg over him, his hands holding her unsteady form as she straddled him, hovering over his leaking cock before lowering herself down, slowly until he was buried inside of her. He laid himself back on the bed, holding her in place as he scooted their joined bodies further back on the small bed, her knees resting on the sheets. It had been an incredible feeling before, but now, from this angle and with all of her beautiful body in his view, he had never felt anything so strong. Every detail of her body turned him on, even the roundness of her belly, the place where his child waited to be born. He was filled with such a need, that he thought if he didn't move soon he was going to explode. But he held himself still, holding her for support as she set the pace, her body rising and falling, slowly at first, her speed and force gradually increasing as her gasps turned to whimpers which turned to moans which turned to cries. He could feel his release coming and he tried to suppress it, needing to wait until she was ready. He could feel her walls begin to clench around him and knew that she was almost there. She began to close her eyes, but he managed to choke out the word "No." He needed to see her. With their eyes locked, he lifted her hips one last time before dropping her down. That was it. The one final push they had both needed to throw them over the edge. He could feel her begin to collapse above him, and in a move almost too fast to see, he pulled himself from her warmth and caught her, wrapping his arms around her as he rolled her to her side. They lay there, breathing heavily, bodies intertwined as they struggled to regain their senses. They lay together in silence, nothing more needed to be said. After a few minutes Daryl watched as a small smile creeped onto Carol's lips.

"You know? I don't think I've ever seen you this clean before. You look good, all shiny like a new penny."

He propped himself up on his elbow, staring at her with a quizzical look on his face.

"What?" she said, trying to suppress her chuckle at his curious expression.

"That's all you got to say? Really? After that?" he asked, completely serious.

"Oh yeah, I forgot something." She reached up and placed a hand behind his head, guiding his lips down to meet hers. When he pulled away, she smiled at him and whispered. " That was the most incredible thing I have ever felt in my life."

"Same here." he replied as he leaned down to kiss her again. A thought suddenly struck him. He had come to this room with a purpose and now that it had been achieved, it was time for him to do something. He kissed her once more, before rolling over and sitting up on the edge of the bed. Reaching to the floor to pull his jeans from where they had been kicked, he located them and pulled the small black box from his pocket. He took a deep breath and turned around, lowering himself to one knee, silently thanking god for the cover of the bed as he realized he was still completely naked. He reached for her hand, seeing the curious expression on her face change to one of awe as he brought his other hand forward and flipped open the lid to the box, revealing a white gold band with a row of 4 small square cut diamonds set on the top. One each for him, her, their baby, and Sophia. His voice trembled as he spoke.

"Carol, I don't know how much time we have left in this world. But I do know that I don't want to spend one more minute of mine without you. I can't survive this life without you. Will you marry me?"

Tears clouded Carol's view as she leaned forward, meeting him half way as she kissed him with as much passion as she could muster. She pulled away finally, the answer rolling easily off her tongue. "Yes." She took the ring from his hand, slipping it on her finger, only to stop short.

"What's wrong?" Daryl asked, a bit of panic rising in his chest. He was surprised to hear the laugh that escaped her lips.

"I can't get it on. My fingers are swollen." she said, laughter mixing with her tears.

Daryl couldn't help the laugh that rose up out of him, meeting the few tears that he hadn't felt slide down his cheeks. He reached out, pulling the ring off of Carol's ring finger and easily sliding it on to her pinky. "Problem solved." he said as he rose from the floor and crawled back into the bed, pulling the covers over them as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. There hadn't been many genuinely happy moments in Daryl's life, he could probably count them on one hand if he tried. But this moment topped them all. They lay together, lazily exploring each other's bodies as the sun began to set in the sky. Daryl had playfully begun to draw circles on her stomach with the tip of his finger, and was rewarded for his efforts with a strong kick. He slid down in the bed to lay his head against her stomach, hearing the tiny whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of his baby's heartbeat. Carol watched him, reaching down to run her fingers languidly through his hair. He started to drift off and he struggled to keep his eyes open. To live in this perfect moment just a little longer. But he was fighting a losing battle. The sound of his son and the feel of her fingers on his skin soon lulled him into a sense of security he had never before known. He closed his eyes as that thought overtook him. He was home.


	10. Chapter 10

The sun had just started to rise in the sky when Daryl was ripped from his peaceful sleep by a swift kick in the forehead. His eyes shot open, body stiffening as he went on the defensive. He couldn't contain the smile that crept onto his lips as he saw that his assault was not at the hands of some unknown danger, but at the foot of a restless baby. He had stayed in his position by Carol's stomach all night, his head lying on the cool sheet and his forehead pressed firmly against the side of her bump. He shot his gaze upwards, finding Carol, her head propped up on the pillows, eyes still tightly closed. Her hand was still resting on the top of his head, fingers now tangled in his hair. He felt another thump from beneath her skin, and moving his lips close to her stomach, he whispered to the child inside. "Hey there little man. I'm your daddy. Your mama said she's gonna marry me. That okay with you?" His question was answered by another sharp kick. He jumped when he heard the soft voice above him speak.

"I think that was a yes. It's fine by him."

He looked up to see that Carol was now watching him. A smile had formed on her face as she had awoken to the sound of Daryl whispering to their child. Tugging softly on his hair, she brought him up to meet her lips. She kissed him sweetly, pulling away to sleepily say "Good Morning."

"Mornin' yourself." he mumbled as he leaned back in to meet her lips again. He was distracted as her heard a loud rumbling noise. He pulled back and looked at her. A sheepish grin had come to her lips.

"That was me. I'm kind of starving. I was so pissed off at you yesterday morning for leaving, that I didn't really eat anything.

A small twinge of regret hit him, but it was quickly pushed away by concern. "You didn't eat anything at all? You know you got a kid in there, right?" he asked rubbing his hand over her stomach.

"I know, I know, it was stupid. If it makes you feel any better, I won't do it again. I'm so hungry right now that I could eat my own weight in food. Hell, I'd even eat Beth's cooking." she said teasingly.

Daryl smiled at the dig. "She ain't that bad no more, she had a good teacher."

A light blush rose in her cheeks as she accepted the compliment. "Thank you."

Daryl rose from the bed, stretching out the stiff muscles he had gained from spending the night curled up around Carol. He heard a giggle pass her lips and looked down to find that he was still completely naked. His cheeks warmed as he reached down to grab his pants from the floor, quickly slipping them on as he narrowed his eyes at her. "Stop."

Carol just shrugged her shoulders, still grinning as he pulled on one of his trademark sleeveless tee shirts. "It was a nice view, that's all."

Daryl looked back down at her, suddenly feeling bold. "I could say the same about you." he said, reminding her that she was still stretched out on the bed, completely exposed. He moved to sit down on the edge of the bunk, leaning in to kiss her as his hands trailed down from her face, slowly moving over her body, seeking out her heat. He stopped his movement when she pulled her face from his, a breathy voice escaping her lips.

"Daryl, I want you. Soon. But right now I need food. I need a lot of food." she said, giving him one last quick peck on the lips as she moved to sit herself up in the bed.

She quickly dressed, pulling on a loose white peasant top that draped over her stomach and a pair of short denim shorts that thankfully had an elastic waist. She extended her hand to him, pulling him from where he sat, watching her. He stooped to pick up his crossbow and the bag that contained everything he needed for a hunt. She frowned as she saw him gather his things.

"Are you going out today?" she asked, as they walked from their cell, heading to the kitchen.

"Someone has to keep you two fed." he replied, wrapping his arm around her waist as they made their way down the hall.

"I know, I just don't want you to go. I don't want this to end. I feel like if you're gone, I'm going to wake up and find out this was just another dream."

He could hear the hint of sadness that had crept into her voice. He stopped just before the entrance to the kitchen, turning her to face him. "This ain't a dream. You and me, we're together. I love you woman. It don't matter if I go, I'm comin' back. Nothin' else is ever gonna keep me from you two."

She stretched up on her toes, planting a sweet kiss on his lips. "I love you too Daryl."

Entering the kitchen, his arm still wrapped firmly around her waist, they found the room was full of chatter, everyone sitting around eating and making plans for the day's work. Glenn and Maggie waved them over, motioning to the empty seats near them. Daryl slipped his hand from around her waist and lightly pushed her in the direction of the waiting couple. He quickly grabbed two plates of food, making sure to put double portions on Carol's, before making his way over to the table. Sliding in the empty seat next to her, he placed the loaded plate of food in front of her before dropping his own down on the table. She looked over at him, silently mouthing "Thank you." before digging in. She practically groaned as she popped a large bite of egg in her mouth, her eyes closing in pleasure as she chewed. He could feel his blush rise as he remembered the sounds that had passed her lips the night before. "Get it together Dixon." he thought to himself, pushing away the image of her riding him out of his mind. Focusing on his own plate, he quickly ate his breakfast, not even noticing the fact that the powdered eggs had no taste. He was trapped in his own thoughts. So when he looked up and Maggie and Glenn both watching him with huge smiles on their faces, it came as a bit of a shock. He was about to ask them what the hell their problem was, but Maggie spoke before he got the chance.

"We were all wondering what had happened to you two. You never even came down for supper."

Daryl watched as Maggie and Glenn exchanged a knowing look.

"So, did you two do anything interesting last night?" Glenn asked, barely able to contain his laughter.

Carol, who had been too involved in inhaling her food to pay much attention to her friends, suddenly glanced up at the question, her eyes widening and her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. She practically stuttered her reply. "I…um…I mean…we…."

Daryl spoke up then, too amused by Carol's reaction to keep quiet. He was on top of the world this morning, and he was feeling pretty bold.

"Yeah, we did a lot of interesting stuff." he said, watching Glenn's face turn red and Maggie's smile widen. He pulled Carol's left hand into his and placed them on the tabletop. "And then I asked her to marry me."

Maggie and Glenn laughed as they saw the diamond ring on her finger. Maggie could barely contain her excitement, and Glenn just smiled, a triumphant look on his face.

"I knew it. I knew that's what you ran off for yesterday. Maggie thought you were going to get her a vibrator." Glenn said.

Carol's blush intensified at Glenn's remark. Daryl was about to smack the young Asian man upside the head when Maggie beat him to it.

"I was joking, you ass." she said. She turned her gaze back to Carol. "Seriously Carol, I really was joking. So come on lady, don't keep us waiting. Did you say yes? Are you two getting married?"

Carol simply smiled and nodded her head. "Of course we are. I love him."

Daryl felt his heart swell as she said the words. He knew she loved him, he still couldn't understand why, but he knew it. But to hear her say the words, out loud, to their friends. It was a whole new feeling. This was real.

Maggie practically squealed with delight as she jumped from her seat, rushing around the table to wrap an arm around each of their shoulders. She leaned down between them and gave them each a peck on the cheek. "I'm so happy. Me and Glenn got married, and now you guys are getting married. And we're both having babies. It's perfect, it gives me some hope for this world, you know?" she said as she dropped back into her seat next to Glenn.

Carol looked at the young woman who was sitting before her. "You're having a baby?" she asked, obviously shocked.

Glenn peered curiously at Daryl. "You didn't tell her?" he asked.

Daryl just shrugged. "I forgot. Kinda had some other things on my mind."

Maggie chimed in. "Yeah, like proposing to your woman. So come on Carol, you have to tell me. How did he do it?"

Daryl felt his blush return. He thought back to the night before, how he had kneeled before her, naked as the day he was born and still sweaty from sex, and asked her to be his wife. He knew Carol had to be thinking the same thing, but to look at her face you could never tell. She had an almost serene glow about her as she answered.

"It was perfect. It was the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me." She glanced at Daryl, their eyes locking for a split second, before she returned her gaze to her friends. "So you're going to have a baby. I'm so happy for you two. You're going to be great parents." she said, before quietly adding "Remember what I told you Maggie. It's going to make you just as crazy as me."

Daryl chuckled under his breath, Carol completely unaware that he had heard the conversation between the two women by the garden.

Maggie giggled as she and Carol shared a knowing look. "So when are you guys gonna do it. Do you need my help planning a wedding. Me and Glenn got married so quick, I never really had a chance to plan one. Things are so settled now, I don't see the harm in a little celebration."

Daryl and Carol looked at each other, neither one knowing what to say. They hadn't talked about it. Daryl spoke up. "It's up to Carol. Just tell me where and when and I'll be there."

Carol thought for a moment before responding. "The baby will be here in about a month. Sometime after that, I guess. When I'm not the size of a house."

Daryl didn't know what came over him, but he couldn't help himself, hearing her concern about her size. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, too low for anyone else to hear. "I think you're sexy as hell like this. Like a sweet, ripe peach."

Carol's gaze shot to meet his as he pulled away, heat starting to burn low in her blue eyes. He smiled at her, a sly grin that caused her to go a little lightheaded. Seeing the affect that his words had on her, he stopped to whisper one more thing. "Later. You wanted food, remember?"

She glared at him, the hint of a smile on her lips as she stabbed her last bite of egg with her fork, and popped it into her mouth, chewing defiantly. Daryl shook himself, if he didn't stop this now, he was never going to get to his hunt. He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I have to get out in the woods. It's getting late. Are you gonna be okay til I get back?"

She barely had a chance to nod before Maggie spoke up. "She'll be fine Daryl, go do your thing. We have lots of things to do today, baby things, wedding things. I'll take care of her. Us mamas gotta stick together.

Daryl looked at Carol, seeing that she agreed with Maggie. He stood up, bending down to give her one last kiss before saying softly "I'll be back soon. I love you."

"I love you too. Stay safe out there." she said softly, meaning the words with all of her heart.

The morning passed quickly, Daryl taking down kill after kill with his bow as he snaked through the forest, driven by his desire to return home. To her. By the time he was done, he had racked up an impressive array of animals, a few squirrels, a few rabbits, even a rather large raccoon that had the misfortune to stumble out into the daylight. Easily filling the bag he had brought with him, he began to make his way back to the prison. He could swear that his steps felt lighter as he walked, his mind full of good thoughts. He had never done any drugs before, alcohol being his vice of choice in the days before the dead rose, but he laughed to himself as he thought that this must be what it feels like to be high. Never in his life had he felt the calm in his soul that he now felt. Carol loved him. Carol was going to marry him. He was going to be a daddy. They had food, a safe place to sleep, and were surrounded by people who had become their family. Even in this world of horrors, he found that he took comfort in those facts. He entered the prison gates, scanning the yard until he found her. She was standing with Maggie, shaking the wrinkles from a piece of wet clothing before handing it to the younger woman to be hung on the line. They hadn't seen him enter and as he walked towards the cell block, a vision of him sneaking up behind her and pulling her close entered his mind. But as he began to smile, another, darker thought crept in. Things were too perfect. It wasn't natural. He had done nothing to deserve the happiness he had been given and it was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped. He was about to tell the voice of doubt to politely fuck off, but as he heard Maggie's cry he knew it had been right. He dropped his bag on the ground as he spun around to find that Carol, who had been standing there smiling just a second ago was now crumpled on the ground, Maggie kneeling beside her. He broke into a run towards her, feeling like he was moving in slow motion as his heart pounded in his chest but the space between them didn't seem to lessen. What happened? The yard was long ago cleared of walkers, their fences more secure than ever. He felt sick to his stomach as he remembered the day they had been attacked by the governor and his men, the bullets that flew through the air. Not Carol. Not her. Not now. Now that they had finally found each other. After what felt to him like years, he reached her, dropping to his knees as his eyes darted back and forth over her body, searching for blood, bites, bullet holes, anything that would explain to him why his woman was now lying on the soft grass, completely unconscious. He barely heard Maggie as she explained, her voice shaky, that she didn't know what happened, that she had just collapsed. He braced himself as he lifted her, cradling her in his arms as he rushed to the prison, kicking open the door as he entered the common room, searching for Hershel .

The doctor looked up from his book. Seeing Daryl standing there with Carol in his arms, he was about to crack a joke about carrying the bride over the threshold, but absorbing the grave look on the younger man's face, he stopped himself, simply rising to grab his crutches and follow behind the man who was headed for his cell.

Daryl entered the makeshift doctor's office, laying Carol down softly on the cot before spinning around to come face to face with the Hershel, who had been hot on his heels.

"Hershel, help her. I don't know what happened. She was fine. I turned away for a second, and she was on the ground, like this. Please, help her." he begged, his words dripping with desperation.

Hershel had already lowered herself down, attaching a cuff to her arm and speaking softly to her, trying to get her to wake up.

Daryl felt himself backing into the corner of the cell, watching as Hershel examined her. He had taken her blood pressure, frowning at the reading on the cuff, he lifted her shirt and began to press his fingers firmly to different spots on her stomach. A second surge of panic overtook Daryl as the thought entered his mind. The baby. His baby. He had never been more terrified by anything in his life. Hershel gently rolled Carol to her side, and continued to call her name, lightly shaking her. Relief washed over him as he saw her eyes begin to flicker open, disoriented but awake. Hershel brushed her hair back as a look of fear crept onto her face. He spoke soothing words, telling her that she was okay, the baby was okay, she had just fainted, she was inside the prison, she was safe. Her expression began to calm as she spotted Daryl, standing in the corner with his arms crossed tightly across his chest. Not wanting to alarm her, he forced a small smile onto his face as he watched her. He stepped forward , kneeling down next to the bed, his hand reaching out to rest upon her cheek. He couldn't find any words. He just bent forward and kissed her on the forehead, a tear falling from his eye. He finally managed to compose himself enough to speak.

"Hey woman, nice to see those eyes open." he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Carol looked up at him, not understanding. "What happened? I was out in the yard with Maggie. Where's Maggie?" she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

"Maggie's fine. You're fine. Hershel said that you passed out. That's all." he answered, kissing her lightly on the forehead again.

"The baby? Is he okay?

Daryl looked at Hershel, who was now standing in front of the door. The doctor gave him a small nod. Daryl returned his eyes to Carol's frightened face. "He's fine. He's just fine. He's healthy as a horse." The panic began to drain from her face, the sharp lines of her worry softened.

Hershel cleared his throat. Daryl looked up to see the man gesture to him, wanting him to step outside. As much as it pained him to leave her side, he reluctantly told her that he wasn't leaving her, just stepping outside of the door. He would come back. She nodded her head. He stood to follow Hershel, anxious to finish this conversation so he could return to her side. The doctor looked at him carefully and spoke in hushed tones.

"Daryl, she is okay for now. From what I can tell without an ultrasound machine, is that the baby is positioned right on top of a large vein in her back called the vena cava. Her blood pressure dropped dangerously low and that is what caused her to faint. This is a problem that is usually solved by a little rest, changing sleeping positions and trying to keep off your feet, but with Carol's age and the nearness of her due date, I don't think that is going to be enough. I'm putting her on strict bed rest. That means that she is not to leave her bed until the baby is born, with a few exceptions. She is allowed to sit up as long as she doesn't put pressure on her back, and she is allowed to stand long enough to go to the bathroom or take a shower, provided that you take her to the restroom in a wheelchair, and stay with her until she is done. Under no circumstances is she allowed to work, or have sex, or sleep on her back, as that will cause the baby to put more pressure on the vein and cut off blood flow from her legs to her heart. I will tell Carol all of this, but I wanted to tell you first. This is up to you, and if anything happens to her, I am holding you responsible. Do you understand me?"

Daryl nodded slowly as he processed all of this information.

"Then wipe that frown off your face and come with me. She's going to need you for this."

Daryl followed him silently back into the cell, kneeling back down next to her, grateful to see that her small smile was still there. He held her hand as Hershel explained the situation to her. She had nodded in understanding, not happy about being placed on bed rest, but accepting of it. Daryl left the cell for a moment, only to collect the wheelchair from the mostly empty infirmary, and return to her, helping her to rise and move to the chair and wheeling her to the stairwell that let up to their cell. He picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. He placed her on the bed, making sure that she was resting on her side. He pulled her shoes off, and kicked his own off as well. He climbed into the bed next to her, placing his hands on her hips. They lay there in silence, face to face, different frightening thoughts running through both of their brains. As Hershel's words replayed over and over again in his head, he made a promise to himself. He wasn't going to fail her. He was not leaving her side again until the day his son came into this world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review. Thanks!!!


	11. Chapter 11

On the first day of her confinement, they lay together quietly, the tension heavy in the air. Daryl had a slight scowl on his face as he mentally berated himself. For a small moment he had been truly happy, and had lowered his guard. He could almost kick himself for thinking that anything that good could have lasted forever. He looked at Carol, focusing on her neck as she was stretched out on her side, with her back to him. He knew she was awake, but she hadn't spoken a word yet. He watched as she slowly turned to face him. Close together in the small bed, their noses were almost touching when she whispered softly to him. "We okay?"

He closed the small space between them and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips before drawing back. "We're okay." he said reassuringly. In truth, he didn't know if he was, but she was perfect.

Carol sighed as gazed into his eyes. "Good."

They lay that way for a while, just studying each other. He was relieved to see a small smile creep onto her face. "So, while you're stuck here, tell me something about yourself?" she asked.

He raised in eyebrow at her question. "What do you wanna know?"

"Everything." she said.

She began to asking him questions, silly things like what had been his favorite food, his favorite color, his favorite song , and movie. He felt comfortable enough revealing the trivial facts, answering chicken and dumplings, orange, not like bright hunter orange, but dark, smoky orange, like the flames at the base of a fire, Motorhead's Ace of Spades, and a little embarrassed to admit it, Gone With The Wind. She had actually laughed at the last confession, and he quickly tried to cover his tracks, claiming that he just liked the Civil War. But she shushed him, telling him that it was her favorite movie too. She then revealed that her favorite food had been French Fries, not those limp skinny fries you would get from a drive through, but the kind of fries you would find at a carnival, hot and greasy and salty. She actually closed her eyes and moaned a little at the memory, causing Daryl's shell to begin to crack. She continued, telling him that she had loved deep red and purple, and that her favorite song had been Hey Jude. She continued with her questions, asking little things like what he had been like as a teenager, when he'd had his first kiss, even venturing so far as to ask about his tattoos. He shrugged a little, telling her that he didn't remember much about his high school years, just that he had mostly stayed out of trouble, had drank a lot of beer, and had just barely graduated, despite his decent grades, he had been fond of cutting class, usually to go drink more beer. His first kiss had been at 14, with a girl named Tammi Sue, a chubby redhead, with braces, who had pounced on him one night in the woods during a party, drunk as a skunk and had passed out cold almost immediately after he had pushed her away. She offered him a little consolation, telling him that her first kiss hadn't come until she was almost 17, and when it did it was with Ed. He saw the flicker of sadness enter her eyes, but it quickly vanished as she waited for an answer to her last question. He explained a few of his smaller tattoos, connecting them to this event or that. The one on his chest, the name Norman, had been for a hound dog he had gotten when he first moved out on his own at 18. He's been a dumb old mutt, useless when it came to hunting, but loyal, following him around like a puppy until the day Daryl had to put him down. His largest tattoo, the dueling demons that stretched across his back, that one had just looked badass. Carol lifted her hand as if to show him something. He looked at it, confused until, looking closely, he could see, drawn with ink so light that it blended in with her pale skin, the shape of a butterfly over the veins in her wrist. How had he never seen this before? He looked at her questioningly and she responded with a shrug of her shoulder. "Youthful rebellion." It was her only explaination.

Carol was pleased by the way he was opening up to her, and she pressed her luck, asking him about his parents. Seeing the look that came to his face, she knew that she had crossed a line, but she didn't stop. She said that she wanted to know everything and she meant it. She started off, telling him about her own family. She had been an only child, raised by a god fearing couple, who took her to church every Sunday, and tried their best to teach her the difference between right and wrong. They had lived in a mid-size town outside of Atlanta, in an average house on a tree lined suburban street. But they were also hard working people, her mother a nurse and her father a manager of a large factory. She had spent many nights of her childhood without her parents, left with baby sitters or alone as she grew older. Even on the rare occasions when the three of them had all been in the house at the same time, they had either been too tired or too wrapped up in other things to spend time with her. She had tried not to think about it as a kid, telling herself that they were out there working trying to provide for her. But it had left its mark on her and she had decided a long time ago that her deep desire for a family was why she had fallen so easily for Ed. Believed him when he promised her the world, married him when he'd asked her at 22, stayed with him long after he failed to deliver, abusing her on an almost daily basis for nearly 20 years. She had just wanted to give her daughter a family. But she didn't regret any of it. She had gotten Sophia from it, and even now that her little girl was gone, she wouldn't have traded a minute of the time she'd had with her for anything in this world.

Daryl watched as a small tear rolled down her face. Despite bringing up bad memories, she didn't look sad. She looked at him, hopeful that he would crack through his shell just enough to tell her about his own family. He had to do this. She was going to be his wife, she deserved to know, deserved to see into the darkest corners of his past. He spoke softly, his face stoic as he began to tell her about his family. He told her about his mother, a pretty woman who had looked alot like him, blue eyes and pale skin and dark hair. She had not been a cruel mother, she hadn't really been much of a mother at all. She had been fighting her own demons all of her life, and most of the memories that he had of her were of her lying in bed with a tumbler of cheap wine in one hand and a Virginia Slim in the other. His earliest memory of her was of her cigarette, glowing red in the blue light from the TV as she had fallen asleep on the couch without turning it off. Daryl, who couldn't have been much older than two, had been seated on the floor near her, playing with one of the few cheap toys that he owned, a small blue car that had been a cast off from one of the neighbor kids. He had looked up and seen her there, softly snoring as the cigarette dangled from in between her fingers. He found himself mesmerized by the glowing embers, the way they crackled and popped as the stick got shorter, pieces of the ash falling off and floating to the ground like snow. It suddenly slipped from her grasp, and he watched it fall, landing on his bare legs as he sat there clad in no more than a diaper that was in desperate need of a change. He screamed as it burned the tender flesh of his thigh, trying to move, to flee from the object that was causing him so much pain. His mother never even twitched, passed out drunk on the sofa. Instead it was a twelve year old Merle who had come running at his cries of pain, yanking him roughly up by the arm and stomping out the butt that had now fallen on the dirty carpet. Merle had dropped him back down to the floor and had started to yell at him, telling him he was too stupid to even pick up the damn thing that was burning him.

Daryl's eyes shot up when he realized what he had done. He shouldn't have said that. Shouldn't have brought up Merle. But instead of the pain that her eyes usually contained at the mention of his brother's name, there was a look of genuine interest. She softly asked him to finish.

Daryl had gone to sleep that night, his leg throbbing from the blister that had been left here and his shoulder sore from the jerk that Merle had given it. He curled up on the dirty mattress that he called a bed and cried. He had learned something that day. The first in a long line of many hard lessons. He had learned not to sit there and take it, if something was hurting you, you fight or run. And he had learned one more thing. Don't get too close to Mama. The night his mother died when he was seven years old, he had known. As soon as he heard the sirens and had raced down the street to find that they were parked in front of his house, standing by as it blazed, he knew. She had fallen asleep with a cigarette, only this time it hadn't landed on him, but on her blanket, smoldering inside of the cheap comforter until it finally ignited, flames spreading out and catching everything in their path. He didn't tell her that he had secretly wished that his father had been lying next to her.

He briefly told her a few things about his father, a cold hard man who only loved one thing more than his whiskey, his belt. He spared her most of the gory details, knowing somehow that she already knew. He told her about when he was eight, the time he had run off into the woods, hiding there for days, hungry and cold, while he waited for his old man to come down from the rage he had flown into when he had found that one of his bottles of booze was missing. He had drunk it himself, but he didn't remember that at the time. It was over a week later when Daryl had finally returned home, so hungry that he was willing to take a beating if it meant he got to eat something afterwards. But when he walked in the back door, the blow never came. His father simply raised his head at the sound of the lock clicking shut, before taking another swig of his drink and returning his focus to the TV. Daryl just made himself a sandwich and walked quietly back to his empty room. Merle wasn't there, he was never there. Always off with his buddies, or locked away for another stint in Juvie. Merle had left home after that, having turned 18. He had enlisted in the Army to avoid his first adult jail sentence. 10 years passed, Daryl now the sole recipient of his father's torment. Merle had returned only when Daryl had called him to inform them that their father had died, having poisoned his liver with his years of daily drinking. And aside from the many times his brother had been locked up, from that point on it was the two of them. Daryl had done many things during those years that he was not proud of. He drank too much, fought too much. He had committed a number of petty crimes at the behest of his brother, culminating in a plan to rob the camp where he had first met her. He had done these things, driven by a sense of loyalty, or fear. He hadn't been able to differentiate between the two.

Daryl watched as Carol processed the information, her expression unreadable. She finally responded, her eyes not containing revulsion or pity, but understanding. "I can't judge you Daryl. It's not up to me, it's up to god. But I can't imagine, seeing the things you've gone through and the way that you've risen above them, the man you've become, that he could ever condemn you. You're a good man. It's why I fell in love with you." she said, kissing him gently. She squirmed then, getting uncomfortable from having laid still for so long. Daryl helped her sit up on the edge of the bed, seating himself next to her and lacing his fingers through hers.

Daryl suddenly had a thought then, a thought that actually made him laugh out loud. Carol peered curiously at him. "We just had our first date." he said, still smiling.

A smile came to Carol's face as she realized he was right. "I think we did." she agreed. "Best date I ever had." she said, leaning against him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Only date I've ever had." he reluctantly admitted. She gave him a look like she couldn't believe what she'd just heard.

"Really? You mean, um, you never, uh, you know?" she asked.

"That ain't what I meant. I've done that. A few times. Just never talked to them before. Or after. Or during. Can't remember much. Didn't last long and I was pretty shitfaced at the time." he said, not sure whether to be ashamed of himself or embarrassed by his lack of experience.

Carol couldn't help but be flattered. She was the first woman Daryl had ever let in. She wanted to say as much, but held back. After everything he had just told her, she didn't it want it to be a confession as minor as this one to be the one that sent him back into his shell. She simply sighed as she snuggled closer to his side.

Daryl heard her noise and mistook it for a sign of discomfort. "You okay? You feeling alright?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm feeling fine. My back still hurts a little bit but other than that I'm perfect. I really think this whole bed rest thing is a bit much. I'm not even supposed to go to the bathroom by myself. I'm pregnant, I'm not disabled."

Daryl actually found that he wanted to scold her when he heard her complaining. He held himself back, simply reminding her that it was what Hershel thought was best. She told him that if he agreed then she would do it, but she didn't have to like it. The rest of the day went by smoothly, people stopping by to check on her now and then. She finally told Daryl that she had to use the bathroom, but when he helped her into the wheelchair, she had surprised him by pushing it herself, not waiting for a push. He had followed close behind, remembering Hershel's instructions. But when they reached the door to the bathroom, Carol told him that there was no way in hell that anyone was going to stay with her and watch her pee. He told her that if he heard a single noise that didn't sound right, he was coming in. She agreed, wheeling herself through the door that he held open for her. When she emerged a few minutes later, he breathed a small sigh of relief. So far, so good.

They returned to their cell, sitting down on the edge of the bed as they ate the food that Beth had brought them. They stayed that way for a while, until Carol had told him that she needed to lay back down. He helped her to her side, draping the sheet over her as she started to fade in and out of sleep. She was tired, it was obvious by the dark circles that had started to form under her eyes. The pregnancy was taking a lot out of her. He watched her sleep , thinking back over the events of the past few months, the last few days. He still couldn't believe that she was his. Finally and forever, however long that may be. He tucked himself in beside her after a while. It had been a good day. They had said things to each other that should have been said a long time ago. She had not shattered at the mention of her rapist and had not rejected him after his confessions. Daryl fell asleep that night with one thought in his head. Hope.

The second morning of her bed rest, she had woken in a good mood which continued throughout much of her day. She chatted happily with the elderly women in the group who had come to check on her. Daryl sat on top if the table in the corner, mostly keeping quiet but still afraid to leave her side. When she had needed to go to the bathroom, he had helped her to the chair, but she still took charge, leaving him outside of the door. Each time Beth had brought them food, they had sat together eating and talking. But Carol was getting restless, and judging by the look on Daryl's face, so was he. They had gone to sleep that night the same as before, laying side by side, facing each other but not touching, aside from the firm grip that Daryl had on her hip, still scared that she would move to her back in her sleep.

The third day passed by the same as the second.

The fourth day, Carol had woken up determined. When Hershel had stopped in to check on her, she had asked him if someone else could sit with her for a while. Daryl hadn't said anything, just sat back and listened to hear his answer, wondering why Carol had asked in the first place. Hershel had nodded and said that he didn't see why not. He offered to send Maggie up and Carol had thanked him as he left. Daryl looked at her, a little hurt. Was she trying to get rid of him? Had she gotten tired of him? His insecurities started whispering to him, but were pushed aside as he moved to help her sit up. She reached up, pulling him down to give him a heated kiss. When he pulled back, a little lightheaded, he saw that a small smile had formed on her lips. "Get out of here." she said.

"What?" he replied, insecurity returning.

"You heard Hershel, someone else can sit with me for a bit. It doesn't have to be you. As much as I love having you all to myself, you look like a rat in a cage right now. You're going crazy cooped up like this. Go on a patrol, go hunt, go do something. But don't sit there with that pained look on your face, watching me like you're waiting for me to break. I'm not going to."

Daryl just stared at her, hearing the words that she spoke. She wasn't trying to get rid of him, she was trying to free him. As that thought washed over him, he found himself leaning forward, capturing her lips again in a passionate kiss. When he finally pulled away, they were both breathing heavy. "I love you woman." he said as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I love you." she said as he rose from his place beside her, grabbing his crossbow and his gear from their place in the corner.

"I'm not going far, I'll be back in time for supper." he reassured her.

"I know you will. Now get the hell out of here before I change my mind." she said teasingly.

He stopped to give her one last kiss before leaving the cell, passing by Maggie as she entered. He stopped by the kitchen, collecting Carl to take him out to hunt. He'd need some help if he was going to keep his promise to her and return by supper. Carl had readily agreed, and together the two had made their way into the woods and easily filled the bag that Daryl carried. When they returned to the prison just before dusk, Daryl didn't notice the sweet, shy look that Beth had given Carl when he'd presented her with their kills. All Daryl could think about was getting back to Carol. When he entered their cell with the supper that Beth had given him, he was relieved to find her in the same place he had left her. Maggie was seated across from her, laughing as she told some silly joke that had made Carol's eyes light up. When the smell of the food hit her nose, she quickly looked up to see Daryl standing in the doorway, a relived smile on his face. Maggie stood and made her goodbyes, claiming that she needed to get back to Glenn, but secretly suppressing the urge to vomit at the smell of the canned beef stew. They were alone now, and Carol gratefully accepted the plate as Daryl came to sit beside her. They ate in silence, Daryl inhaling his food nearly as fast as she did. When they finished, Daryl left her alone for a split second as he ran the dirty dishes back to the kitchen and raced back to her. He didn't leave her side again for the rest of the night, falling asleep next to her as they had the previous nights, except that instead of gripping her hip, he was now holding her hand, their intertwined finger staying that way all through the night.

The fifth day passed much the same as the fourth, as did the sixth, and the seventh. Nearly three weeks had passed since she had been confined to her cell, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was going crazy. She was sick and tired of these walls, this bed, the few books she possessed, having now read them multiple times. She was tired of the people that came to sit with her, Maggie, Beth, The interchangeable elderly women, even Lenny had sat with her a few times, talking her ear off about his farm and his wife and son. She actually liked the old man, imagining him as the kind of father she would have liked to have had. But she had grown annoyed with even his presense. She was hot, she was uncomfortable, she was restless, and more than anything she was frustrated. She wanted Daryl, wanted him the way she had him the night he proposed to her. She knew that wasn't safe, but her need for contact was driving her mad. She had finally asked Hershel if it would be okay, making the doctor blush bright red as he told her no, but told her that perhaps she could find another way to channel her frustration. So that night, when Daryl had returned to their cell after dropping their dishes in the kitchen, she had formed a plan. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching him as he kicked off his boots and removed his shirt. He no longer cared if she saw his scars. He had turned to face her, and she had surprised him by reaching out, slipping her fingers through the belt loops on his jeans, pulling him towards her. She looked up at his face, a hunger in her eyes that he knew his own gaze had held many times in the past few weeks. But he couldn't do anything to quelch it. It wasn't safe for her or the baby. He found himself telling himself that many times, and was about to say the same to her. He was silenced however, when her fingers moved quickly before him, popping his button, pulling down his zipper, his now hard cock practically springing forward, the leaking tip now resting just a breath away from her lips.

"Don't say anything. I asked. This is okay. I want this."

He was frozen there, silent as she gently licked the drop of moisture from his tip. Feeling bolder, and with her eyes never leaving his, she slowly began to lick, first circling around the tip, before moving her tongue down the underside of his cock, trailing along the veins there until she reached the base, and slowly beginning the trip back up. He couldn't suppress the groan that escaped his lips as she drew him into her mouth, the heat and moisture contained there nearly making him explode. He held back. He had never had this before, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let it end so quickly. He watched her as she began to move back and forth, her hand snaking around him to grasp his ass, guiding him in and out of her lips. She had hollowed out her cheeks, and the new sensation made his legs shake and his moans become louder. When she released him, only to pull him back in and suck firmly on the head of his cock, he lost it. He tried to pull away, not wanting to finish that way, but she held firm, moving him to the back of her throat and swallowing his release.

He stood there for a long time, panting and trying not to collapse. When he finally stopped shaking, he looked at her, seeing that her face held a huge grin. "Damn, just damn. How did you… no wait, I don't wanna know. That was…you're good at that." he said finally, almost stuttering.

Carol just smiled brighter. "I've never wanted to do it before. Guess that gave me some skills." she said, quite pleased with herself at his compliment.

He sat down next to her and pulled her in for a kiss. When he pulled back, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I want you so bad right now. I almost don't care what Hershel said."

"I want you too. A few more weeks. Once the baby is born and I'm okay, you won't be able to keep me off you. But in the meantime, would you settle for a shower?"

Daryl was a little disappointed, but he was quickly cheered by the thought of holding her dripping wet body in the shower. He nodded and moved to help her stand. They made their way down to the shower room, making sure it was empty before he helped her undress. He turned on the water, checking that it wasn't too cold before shedding his own clothes and guiding her into the stall. She handed him a bar of soap and a washcloth, turning her back to him. He kept one hand firmly planted on her hip as he lathered up the cloth and gently began to wash away the mid summer sweat from her skin. He cleaned her head to toe, and in return she did the same for him. They stood together under the spray, her body resting against his as he slowly rubbed his hands up and down over her belly, pressing soft kisses against the nape of her neck. They didn't speak. They didn't have to. They were perfectly content to stand there in each other arms.

An idea came to Daryl and it came out of his mouth without a second thought. "Do you wanna get married?"

"Um, didn't you ask me this already? You were naked then too if I remember correctly." she said with a giggle.

" I know I already asked you. I meant, do you wanna get married now?"

Carol was a little shocked and it was apparent in her voice. "Why are you in a rush? We don't have anything planned and it isn't like I can walk down an aisle. Hershel would have to roll me."

Daryl tried to explain himself. " I know you want a real wedding, but way I see it, that baby is gonna be born in a week. He's gonna have my name and I think you should too. His mama and daddy should be married."

Carol pulled herself from his arms and turned around to face him. His expression wasn't angry or cocky, but sweet and almost shy. She stretched up to kiss him. "I don't need a real wedding. I had one of those. It didn't work out so well. I just need you. If you're ready to do this then so am I. Can you give me one day? If I don't let Maggie help with something, she's going to kill me."

Daryl agreed, picking her up off the floor as he kissed her. "So day after tomorrow, you're gonna be my wife.

Carol smiled. She never tired of hearing him say that. "Yes I will be."

They stood under the spray for a few more minutes before they turned off the water. He dressed quickly, helping her with her own clothes before taking her back to their cell and helping her into their bed. She laid on her side, eyelids growing heavy. He kissed her lightly on the forehead as she began to drift off. "I love you Carol."

"Love you too." she mumbled as she fell asleep.

Daryl watched her sleep for a bit, before quietly creeping from the cell. He needed to find Hershel. He needed to find Maggie. He was going to need their help if he was going to give her the wedding she deserved. He needed a plan.


	12. Chapter 12

Daryl was wide awake. He had told his brain to shut the fuck up, but it wasn't listening. He was getting married in the morning and he was full of anxiety and excitement and a whole number of other emotions. Right now the main one was loneliness. At Maggie's behest, he was sleeping alone tonight, stretched out on his back on the thin cot in his old cell. He had grown accustomed to sleeping next to her, the heat from her body radiating through him and her fingers locked onto his own. But Maggie had said that her and Carol had things to do in the morning and that she would stay with her through the night. She had even joked that he was free to go sleep with Glenn if he liked. He had quickly shot that down, instead taking his things next door and plopping them down on the floor in frustration. He couldn't be mad though. He had asked for Maggie's help with planning a small wedding in an unbelievably short amount of time, and she had jumped at the challenge. She wouldn't tell him anything, she had just shoved a pile of clothes at him and told him to be in the yard just before noon. He looked over to where the clean black jeans and the white dress shirt hung. He didn't know where she had gotten them, but he was grateful. He didn't own anything nearly as nice, and his only option before would have been a pair of faded, ripped jeans and the shirt he had worn the day he proposed to her. He actually found himself amused at the thought. If someone had told him even a year ago that he would be worrying about what he was going to wear to his wedding, he probably would have shot them in the ass with an arrow. Now here he was, about to become a husband and a father, and it scared the shit out of him. Not because he didn't want it. He had never wanted anything more in his life. But because he wasn't sure he could cut it. He didn't know how to be a husband, his own parents never said more than two words to each other if they weren't yelling. And as for being a father, it was no surprise that his own hadn't given him any ideas as to how to raise a child. But he knew one thing, he loved Carol and he loved their child and he'd spend the rest of his life trying to figure out the rest. He lay there, staring at the bottom of the bunk above him, thinking things over. He had finally started to drift off when the sun began to rise, casting an orange glow over the room. He sat up, stretching as he yawned. He sure as hell wasn't falling asleep now. He quickly dressed in his normal clothes as he made his way down to the kitchen. A few people were already awake, and greeted him warmly as he entered. He grabbed a cup of coffee, not even bothering with sugar or the powdered creamer they had. He downed the hot black liquid in a few gulps, before filling the cup to the brim again and taking a seat next to Lenny. He was in his usual place, cup in front of him and book laid open. Daryl actually wondered if he ever left this chair. Different clothes and the fact that he was always clean would suggest that he did, but still. He was the one constant factor in this room. The old man smiled up at him as he sat down, reaching over to clap him on the arm.

"Big day, son. You excited? I am. Maggie asked me if I could walk Carol down the aisle. I told her I'd be honored. Never had a daughter of my own to do it for, but if I had one I'd want her to be like your gal. She's something special." he said, a proud expression on his wrinkled face.

Daryl was happy that Lenny had been included. He was a friendly old son of bitch, and despite his age, he really just wanted to be useful. He thought about what he had said about Carol and couldn't help but agree. "She is definitely something special, that's for sure. I'm excited. Just kinda nervous. Ain't real good with people, having to stand up there and say vows and all that. Not to mention, all the stuff after the wedding. I'm kinda scared to death." he admitted.

Lenny leaned a bit closer and lowered his voice as he placed his weathered hand on Daryl's arm. "You love her, you gonna protect her?"

Daryl nodded in response.

"Then ain't nothing to be scared of. Marriage and fatherhood, they drop on you suddenly, but they build up after that. You're gonna have good times and bad times, but if the good times are good enough, they make the bad times disappear. You figure it out as you go."

Daryl was reassured by Lenny's words and told him as much. Lenny just shrugged it off.

"Ain't nothing. Like I said, I like you. You remind me of my boy. Told him the same thing the day he got married, 'cept for the fatherhood part. I never did get any grandkids. It's okay though. Didn't have to lose them either. Plenty of little ones around here for me. Keeps me busy."

Daryl had seen him before, surrounded by the children in the group, telling them stories about his farm, and the animals, and the funny things his own son had done as a child. Daryl smiled as he realized that his own child would soon be among them. He thanked Lenny for the talk, standing up to place his now drained coffee cup in the sink. Rick and Glenn walked in then, moving over to him when they saw that he was already up.

"Mornin' Daryl." Rick said as he grabbed his own coffee. "Today's the day. The day Carol makes an honest man out of you. Still can't quite believe it actually. Who'd have thought that the angry redneck, who threw a string of squirrels at me the day we met, could be tamed. I don't know what she did to you, but it worked."

Glenn chimed in. "I know what she did to him." he said, a goofy smile on his face.

Daryl tried his best to look menacing as he responded to the young man's words. "Watch it Glenn, just cause I'm getting married, don't mean I can't stomp your ass if I really want to." he said, half serious, half joking.

Glenn just laughed. "Be my guest. I'll warn you though, if you do that, you're going to have to deal with Maggie. I don't know if it's hormones or what, but she is scary as hell lately. I stole a bite of fish off her plate the other day, and I thought she was going to stab me with her fork."

Daryl and Rick couldn't help it, they both cracked up.

Glenn glared at them. "It isn't funny. She's going to kill me before she has our kid, I know it. She came barging in our cell a little while ago, told me to get my ass out of bed and get outside to set up the folding chairs she found in one of the storage rooms. She was gone before I even had a chance to argue. Funny this is, she'll be yelling at me one second and kissing me the next. What the hell is wrong with pregnant women?"

Daryl and Rick exchanged a knowing look. Rick had grown more accepting of Lori's loss and it no longer pained him to talk about her. He reached over to pat Glenn on the back. "They are wonderful and they are insane. Good luck man."

Rick took his leave, telling them that he had guard duty, but that he would see them this afternoon.

Glenn drained his cup of coffee quickly, dropping the mug in the sink with a clatter. He looked at Daryl, eyebrows raised. "So, I know it's your wedding day and all, but you think you might be up to a little biter removal. There's about a half dozen of them scattered along the fence. Maggie told me to take care of them, but I think we both know that's kind of your area of expertise."

Daryl agreed and told Glenn he'd be right out. He ran back to his old cell to collect his crossbow, slowing down as he passed by the cell he shared with Carol. He could hear voices from behind the curtain, Maggie, Beth, and Carol. He listened for a minute, not able to make out much of what they said until he heard a loud ouch, Carol's voice. He was about to swing the curtain open when the sound of laughter stopped him. He heard Carol speak again, her tone not threatened or pained, but happy. "Maggie, if you keep pulling on my hair like that, I'm going to be walking down the aisle bald headed."

He left them then, making his way down to the yard where he spotted Glenn setting up small rows of plastic folding chairs on the grass. It was a beautiful day, not a single cloud in the blue sky and the sun shining. Thankfully, it hadn't gotten too hot yet as he set about his task. He stepped outside the gates, banging the butt of his bow against the fence as he tried to draw the walkers to him. They heard the noise and slowly shambled towards it. They took no notice of each other as they started to fall, one by one as Daryl fired bolt after bolt into their brains. He had dispatched them easily, and as he scanned the area to make sure there were none he missed, he heard a groan come from behind him. Without missing a beat, he spun around and fired an arrow straight through the geek's skull. He stepped on it's head to retrieve the arrow, pulling it out with a sharp tug as he spoke. "Not today, fucker. I got somethin' I gotta do."

After retrieving all of his arrows, he dragged the bodies into a pile near the tree line, making sure they were concealed by a few fallen tree branches. He usually tried to burn them as soon as he could, but he doubted that the smell of burning death was what Maggie had in mind for the wedding. Once he had finished with the chore, he headed back in the gate, walking over to where Glenn had just finished his own. He was surprised to see Maggie running over to them. She looked at the chairs, satisfied that they were the way she wanted. When she looked at Daryl however, her expression became one of disapproval.

"Daryl, what the heck happened to you? You're filthy and you smell like death. Get your butt inside and get cleaned up. You better be sparkling by the time you come back out. God, you're getting married today." she said, throwing up her hands in exasperation.

Daryl looked at Glenn, who had a small smirk on his face. The younger man muttered under his breath. "Told you."

Daryl did as he was told, heading back for the prison. He heard Maggie call behind him, telling him he better not take a peek at Carol or he was going to have to deal with her. When he entered the kitchen, he saw Hershel motion him over. He made his way to the doctor, sitting down next to him as he could see that the man had something to say. Hershel leaned in, keeping his tone hushed.

"Daryl, you're getting married today and after some thought, I just wanted to let you know that I'm lifting some of the restrictions from Carol. If you two want to have, you know, a honeymoon, then I don't see the harm. She's only a week away from her due date and the worst that could happen at this point is the onset of labor."

He tried not to show it, but he was fucking thrilled. He couldn't wait to tell Carol. On second thought, maybe he wouldn't tell her until tonight. That would almost be romantic, wouldn't it? He quietly thanked Hershel, not noticing the blush in the older man's cheeks as he left the room.

He stood to leave, smelling the Turkey that was already cooking. Beth had really stepped up when it had come to taking care of the cooking, and when she had heard that they were going to be having a wedding, she had asked Carl if he could find her a turkey. He had, really becoming quite the skilled hunter, and she had even given him a small peck on the cheek in gratitude. She now had it roasting, and though she didn't have the things needed for a real feast, she did have some fresh vegetables from their garden, and had made a large salad. She had even come across a few boxes of instant cake mix and canned icing, salvaged in their last food run. She had prepared them as best as she could, substituting powered eggs and water for the fresh ones. She had been pretty proud of herself when she had seen her finished product, a three tiered square cake, covered in thick white frosting. She had even stuck a few daisies around the base. It was her wedding present to the woman who had become like a second mother to her and the man who had protected them all without question.

Daryl had noticed her efforts and made his way over to where she now stood by the stove. He thanked her, genuinely touched that she had gone to so much trouble. She just smiled her sweet smile and went back to her work.

He finally made his way back to his old cell, fighting the temptation to check on Carol. He grabbed his clean clothes and headed for the shower. He lingered under the cold spray, having scrubbed himself clean. The cold water felt good on his hot skin. He could feel the anxiety building in his chest. It was almost time. Reluctantly, he turned off the water and stepped from the stall. He dressed himself in the clothes that Maggie had given him, and after taking the time to make sure his now way too long hair was in some kind of order, he made his way back through the prison. When he entered the common room, he saw that the members of the group were slowly making their way outside, He could see that everyone had made an attempt to be presentable, the children even cleaned up and dressed in their nicest clothes. It actually made him smile a bit, thinking that this was what Carol deserved. He followed outside and was quickly pulled aside by Maggie, who he had to admit looked pretty in the soft yellow dress she wore. He was about to ask her where it had come from, when she had shoved him forward, telling him to get his butt up by Glenn and stay there. He obliged her and walked over to where Glenn and Hershel stood at the front of the aisle. Glenn looked sheepishly at him as he took his position beside them.

"So, I guess I'm your best man. Maggie made me get dressed up and told me if I left this spot she was gonna kick my ass. You okay with this? I could get Rick if you wanted."

Daryl glanced sideways at Glenn. "It's fine. You're my friend too, same as him."

Glenn didn't say anything, just nodded as they stood there, watching the members of the group as they sat down.

Daryl was getting nervous. Really nervous. Like in high school, when he'd had to stand up in front of the class and speak. He felt sick to his stomach. He knew everyone sitting before him, and while he had grown more comfortable with them one on one, the thought of all of their eyes on him as he stood there and promised his life to Carol, it was almost enough to make him puke. He stared straight ahead, trying not to think about it. He was so focused on suppressing his fear that he didn't notice the quiet music that Beth began to play on her guitar, he didn't notice the way that everyone had turned their heads. Didn't notice Maggie walking down the aisle, carrying a bunch of daisies. He couldn't see anything until he saw her, walking towards him, Lenny on one side of her and Rick on the other. Everything else faded away. She was absolutely beautiful. She was smiling, her face framed by her curls, some of which had been braided up away from her face, small wildflowers woven into the strands. She was wearing a white dress, a thin lace sheath that tied at her neck, gathering under her breasts, draping over her belly and coming to rest just below her feet, revealing her bare toes. He couldn't breathe, she looked like an angel, and he still couldn't believe she was his. He finally took a breath as he felt her hand touch his and their eyes meet. They turned to face Hershel, the kind old doctor having volunteered to do the ceremony for them.

He began. "Friends and family, we are here today to join Daryl and Carol in marriage. They have asked me to keep this short and I will, but before we get to their vows, I would just like to say one thing. We all know what this world has become. Long gone are the trivial concerns of yesterday. We live lives of survival now. Of instinct. But days like today remind me of one thing. Our humanity. If two people can find love amidst the horrors of our world, then I have hope for us all."

He asked them to face each other. They did, their gazes locked on one another as they repeated the vows that Hershel spoke. Love, Honor, Cherish, and added by them, Protect. Til death do them part. It was time for the rings. Do you take, For better or worse, in sickness and health, as long as you both shall live? They had agreed, slipping the rings given to them by Glenn and Maggie on each other's fingers. It was done. Hershel pronounced them man and wife, and the only thing Daryl could see was her. He stepped forward, placing his hand on her cheek as he kissed her, the first kiss of the rest of their lives.

Applause broke out among the group. The couple was swarmed by their friends, hugs and kisses being given to Carol, and handshakes and congratulations given to him. The crown had begun to disperse after a few minutes, heading inside for their makeshift reception. Daryl and Carol found themselves alone. He turned to face her, his eyes brighter, and bluer and clearer than she had ever seen them. He leaned in to kiss her again, not sweetly like he had at the altar, but deeply, passionately, like he was trying to make his lips say all the things he couldn't. When he pulled away, she had the most beautiful smile on her face, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest. "I love you, Daryl Dixon."

"I love you too, Carol Dixon." he said, the sound of his name on hers almost bringing a tear to his eye.

They slowly walked together, hand in hand, towards the prison. She stopped for a moment, pressing her hand against her stomach, a slightly pained look on her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, placing his hand over her hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Little man just gave me a good kick, that's all."

He turned to face her, dropping to his knees as he pressed a kiss to her stomach, to his baby. "You need to stop kicking your mama. It's her special day, and I don't want her hurting for it." he spoke softly. As if obeying his command, the baby stopped kicking.

Carol looked at him as he rose back up to stand before her. She kissed him softly, pulling back and smiling. "Already a good daddy, and he isn't even born yet."

They made their way into the kitchen, finding their friends all seated, waiting for them. Maggie had gotten to the kitchen as well, and there were bouquets of wildflowers on each of the tables, not in fancy vases but in mason jars. It smelled fantastic and Carol actually started to cry a little when she saw the food spread out on a table by the stove. She almost died when she saw that at the end of the makeshift buffet was a cake. An actual, honest to god wedding cake. She saw Beth standing by the table, getting ready to serve everyone. She pulled Daryl along with her as she made her way over to the young girl. "Beth, I can't thank you enough for this. You've already had to take on so much because of me, I don't know how you managed to do all this. Thank you sweetie. I love you, you know that." she said, pulling her in for a hug. Beth just smiled when Carol released her.

"I was happy to do it Carol. You two take care of all of us. I wanted to return the favor. Now, since you two are the guests of honor, you get to eat first."

She handed them each a plate, pointing them towards the table that Maggie had set up for them. They sat down, digging into their meals as everyone else moved up to get served. It was perfect. No one was thinking about walkers, or work, or any of the other concerns that filled their days. They were simply being happy, eating and talking and celebrating. They had cut the cake, Daryl turning bright red as Carol had squished a small piece against his lips, stretching up to kiss him. He couldn't even help himself when he leaned down to lick away a bit of icing that had smeared under her lip. He didn't care who saw. She was his wife now, and if he wanted to kiss her like that in front of everyone he was going to. They could hear the ooohhh's coming from the group, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Nothing but each other.

The sun had begun to set, their small party having stretched far past the afternoon. A few people remained in the room, calling out well wishes as Daryl and Carol began the walk back to their cell. Carol had sat down on the edge of the bed as soon as they entered, exhausted by the day's events after having been cooped up for so long. She was exhausted, but unbelievably happy. She found that Daryl was looking at her, an expression on his face that she had never seen before. "Whatcha thinking?" she asked as he came to sit beside her.

He wrapped his arm around her, sighing as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I was thinking that I ain't never been happier than I am right now. This all feels more real now, you know. You and me, we're married. In a couple of days, we're gonna meet that little boy. I just never thought my life would turn out like this. I never thought I was worth nothing. And now, I have things I never even imagined I would want. I just wanted to thank you for that."

"Nothing to thank me for. You deserve so much more than you think you do. I love you."

He turned, kissing her on the forehead. "I love you too, more than I ever thought I could."

He had gotten so caught up in the day, that he had nearly forgotten the conversation he'd had with Hershel this morning. He looked at Carol, grinning as he told her the good news. "Hershel told me this morning, that if we wanted… a honeymoon , that it was okay. Said the worst that'd happen would be jump starting your labor a bit."

Carol was grinnging from ear to ear as she heard the words. "You mean, we can…?"

He nodded, and that was all she needed. She practically pounced on him, as fast as a woman in her condition could. She attacked his lips furiously with her own, all of her pent up sexual frustration pouring over him. He had actually laughed when she had pulled his shirt from him, nearly popping some of the buttons off as she struggled to free him of the garment. Once it was gone, he helped her untie the neck of her dress before swiftly pulling it over her head. Soon they lay together, completely bare, exploring each other with hands and lips. They didn't know where to go from here. Her belly didn't allow much freedom, and he was trying to figure out how to do this. They had both started to laugh as they realized the awkward situation they found themselves in. They finally found a position that worked, him kneeling between her legs as she lifted them and pressed her feet to his chest, keeping any pressure from her bump. He had entered her slowly, one hand moving to play with her clit as he picked up his pace, pulling back and entering her again and again, harder and deeper, her moans driving him as he rubbed his thumb against her until he felt her nearing her end. They never broke eye contact as they both found their release. Daryl was sweaty and panting as he pulled himself from her heat and moved to lay next to her, pulling her into his arms. She was breathing heavily as well, laying her head on his chest as she snuggled tighter into his grasp. They were happy and completely sated. The only words they could manage were "I love you" as exhaustion washed over them and they fell asleep.

A few hours had passed, the pair still wrapped in each other's arms in a peaceful slumber when Daryl awoke to the sound of soft whimpers coming from his bride. He whispered her name, and too his surprise, her eyes opened right up. She had been awake already. "Carol, are you okay? Is the baby kicking again?"

She shook her head, pain visible on her face. "I don't think so. I think I just had a contraction. Daryl, I think it's time. I think this baby is ready to be born."

Daryl could't find any words. He had known this was coming, Hershel even having warned him that sex could trigger it. But right now, he was completely unprepared. It didn't matter though. Their son was coming tonight.


	13. Chapter 13

Daryl's eyes were wide as he jolted from the bed, grabbing the small bag that Carol had packed for this moment. He spun around, shaking like a leaf, but smiling. "Come on woman, let's get you to the infirmary. Oh shit, I gotta get Hershel. Let's go, we're having a baby."

Carol didn't move. She just laid there, smiling at him.

"What?" he almost snapped. "Didn't you hear me? Baby. Coming. Now. Move."

Carol giggled as she sat herself up in the bed. "Um, you might want to put some clothes on before you go runnin' for Hershel. Not that you don't look good naked, but I don't think he's gonna appreciate it as much as I do."

Daryl hadn't even thought about the fact that he wasn't wearing anything. She wasn't either. He slowed down for a moment, throwing on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. He grabbed a nightgown for her, not her silky blue one, but a worn out white cotton slip with short ruffled sleeves. When he turned around, he could see her watching him, the soft glow of the moonlight illuminating every inch of her pale skin. He could see her breathing begin to quicken as she moved her hands to her stomach, frowning.

"You okay? You havin' another one?" he asked as he dropped to a crouch in front of her.

"Yes." she groaned out through clenched teeth. "This isn't right. Took me hours with Sophia. We need to get Hershel. I don't think this little man is going to wait." she gasped out as the pain of the contraction began to fade.

Daryl was a man on a mission. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to stand. He quickly pulled the nightgown over her head, threading her arms through the sleeves, before sweeping her up into his arms. He actually grunted a little at the action, she was a bit heavier than the last time he had done this. The cell block was dark when they emerged from their cell, everyone settled in for the night. Daryl carefully made his way down the stairs, placing Carol gently in the wheelchair that had been left at the bottom. He kissed her on the forehead, before stepping away just long enough to rouse a snoring Hershel from his sleep. The doctor had jolted up in bed as soon as he heard his name being called, muttering something that Daryl couldn't quite make out. All Daryl had to say was the name Carol, and suddenly Hershel was wide awake. He threw his leg over the edge of the bed, grabbing his crutches as he moved to stand. "Get her to the infirmary and onto the bed. I'm grabbing Bethy and I'm right behind you.

"Hurry." Daryl left him then, racing back to Carol. He pushed the chair through the corridor as fast as he could without shaking her around. She was clutching her stomach again, moaning quietly every time they hit the slightest bump or crack in the floor. After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the small infirmary. He flipped on the light switch with his elbow, the fluorescent overhead lights having been wired into the generator. It wasn't much, nowhere near as much as what it should be. But it was clean, and well stocked with first aid supplies and medications they had gathered from various runs. They had even managed to find a few hospital beds and an exam table at an abandoned medical supply store. Daryl lifted Carol from the chair, seeing that the seat was soaking wet, her water having broken on the trip there. He placed her carefully down on the clean white sheets that had been draped over the table. He brushed her hair out of her eyes as the force of another contraction began to hit her.

"Daryl." Her voice was small and pained as it escaped her lips between puffs of air.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. "I'm here sweetheart. I ain't goin' anywhere." he said softly. But all he was thinking was "Where the fuck is Hershel?"

His thought was answered by the sound of two sets of footsteps rapidly approaching. Well, one and a half, really. Hershel and Beth entered the room, his daughter being brought along to assist him if necessary. He quickly made his way over to where Daryl was clutching Carol's hand. She was starting to come back down from her pain, and took a deep breath as Hershel came to stand by her feet.

"Carol, I'm going to need to check you, see how far you're dilated. How far apart are the contractions?" he asked, already moving to adjust the back of the table, asking Daryl to help him slide her as he propped up her back and placed her feet in the stirrups that extended from the end of the table.

"A few minutes apart. I don't understand. With Sophia, I had contractions for two days before I even had to go to the hospital. What's wrong?" she asked, fear in her voice.

Hershel reassured her as he positioned himself on the stool Beth had wheeled over for him. "I don't think there's anything wrong. It's common for labor to move a lot faster with second pregnancies. Take your age into account, and I think everything is moving along right on schedule. I'm going to need you to spread your knees for me Carol, I just want to make sure I'm right."

She obeyed, and Daryl clutched her hand a little tighter, clearly uncomfortable as he watched Hershel's head lower between her legs. He scolded himself, reminding himself that Hershel was a doctor and a good man on top of that. But still, he didn't like the fact that anyone but him was that close to her.

Hershel popped back up, a smile on his face. "Eight centimeters. A few more strong contractions and you'll be able to start pushing." The smile slowly faded away as he realized something. "Carol, I can't give you anything for the pain until after. You're too far along. Can you do this without drugs?"

Carol cried out as the latest wave of pain swept through her, Daryl wiping away the sweat that was beginning to form on her brow. "Yes! I can do this. I can do this. I can do this." she repeated, trying not only to convince him, but herself. She'd had an epidural with Sophia, and even then the pain was horrible. She was still muttering the mantra as the hard contraction slowed.

Hershel checked her again once it had stopped. "Nine cenimeters. One more contraction and you'll be fully dialated."

She was flushed now, covered in a thin layer of sweat. She looked up at Daryl, forcing a small smile onto her face as she tried to regulate her breathing. "So much for our honeymoon." she said, teasingly but with her pain apparent in her voice.

He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. "Woman, I can't believe you're joking right now. You're about to bring our baby into the world. This is better than a hundred honeymoons."

"For you maybe, but this shit hurts like fucking hell if you haven't noticed." she said, crushing his hand and biting her lip, her face scrunched up as her pain began to overtake her once again. He hated seeing her like this, but he actually found himself smiling. He hadn't ever heard her swear like that before, and he had to admit it was kinda cute. She cried out one last time as the long contraction finally ended. She was panting now, sucking air into her lungs in huge gulps and exhaling forcefully. She laid her head back against the pillow, already worn out from just this.

Hershel quickly rolled the stool over to the sink, washing his hands thoroughly before slipping on the pair of gloves that Beth handed him. He rolled back over to Carol, seeing that she was now fully dialated. "Alright Carol, in a minute you are going to feel a pressure. When you feel it, I want you to take a deep breath and push. Push as hard as you can. You've progressed so quickly, I don't imagine it's going to take too many before we get to meet this little man."

Carol was hurting so bad, she actually glared at Hershel. "Fuck, I know, I know, pressure, push. This ain't my first time doing this."

Daryl and Hershel shared a look, neither one releasing the laugh that was building in their chests. She had a look on her face that could kill a man as her contraction hit her and she screamed, bearing down with every ounce of strength in her small body. The urge passed after a minute and she dropped back against the pillow, sweat dripping down her face, plastering her soft curls to her forehead. Daryl brushed them back, wiping her skin with the cool cloth Beth had handed him. He leaned in close to her ear, whispering to her softly. "That was great sweetheart. That was perfect. I love you so much."

She looked up at him weakly when he pulled away. "I love you too Daryl."

He could feel her hand begin to tighten around his as another contraction came crashing into her. She gritted her teeth, crying out louder than before, cursing and pushing as hard and as long as she could before she collapsed, tears streaming down her face. Daryl tried to wipe them away from her cheeks, but they wouldn't stop falling. It was killing him to see her in so much agony, but he tried to hide it as he leaned his forehead against hers. "You can do this. I know it hurts, but try not to think about it. Think about our son. A beautiful, healthy little boy who looks just like his mama."

She tried to smile, but couldn't. She needed to push again. She screamed, covering her mouth with her hand as she pushed, a sudden sharp pain making her halt her action. She practically flopped backwards, Daryl easing her back to lie on the table. She was out of it, eyes darting around weakly. Daryl looked to Hershel and was alarmed when he saw that the doctor's gloves were now covered in blood. "Hershel?" he asked quietly, not wanting to alert Carol, who was lying on the pillow, a dazed look on her face.

"The baby isn't in the right position. I'm going to need to turn him. Daryl, Beth, I need you to hold her legs for me. I'm so sorry Carol, I have to do this."

Beth moved alongside her, wrapping her small arms around Carol's calf. Daryl did the same, linking his strong arm around her, his other hand never leaving the one that was hanging on to his for dear life.

Hershel took a deep breath and slid his hands in, her tortured shriek not deterring him as he turned the baby. Her face was as white as the sheets she laid on, and she was shaking violently as she felt her skin tear. She was delusional from the pain, and when his hands left her, she mumbled the only thought in her head. "Merle, I hate you so much. Why did you do this to me?" her words nearly unintelligible mixed in with her sobs.

But Daryl heard. He had a feeling of pure rage come over him for a split second, before realizing that he wasn't the only one that might have heard her words. He quickly darted his eyes between Beth and Hershel. Neither one appeared to have heard her, both too focused on their respective tasks. Hershel looked up at Carol.

"Carol, come on now. I need you to come back to us. He's in the right position now. Two more pushes. That's all. Come on Carol."

She was still, too overcome by the pain coursing through her body to move.

Daryl didn't realize it, but he holding back tears as he placed his head on hers. "Carol, please move sweetheart. You can do this. You're so strong, stronger than me. Please, you need to try." His tears could no longer be contained and began to stream silently down his cheeks.

She heard his words, the sound of his voice breaking through the darkness she found herself in. She slowly began to respond, inching herself up as she felt the pressure return, the overwhelming urge to push. She screamed as loud as she could as she forced herself to react, bearing down and giving the strongest push her weak body could manage. She tried to slump backwards but Daryl's arm was behind her, supporting her back.

"I can see his head Carol. One more push and this will be over. Come on Carol. Push." Hershel commanded.

She nodded weakly, crushing Daryl's hand as she gave one final push, the sound of her cry echoing off the walls around them. She went limp as Hershel delivered her baby boy into the world. He quickly clamped the cord, cutting through it cleanly and handing the baby over to Beth who took him over to where she had set up supplies to clean him up.

Daryl's eyes never left hers as he eased her back onto the pillow, wiping her face with the washcloth as he placed kisses all over her skin. "You did it Carol. It's over. Come on now, look at me." She was so exhausted, so weak. Hershel had delivered the placenta and was now stitching her up. She couldn't even feel it, the sting of the needle was nothing compared to what she had just endured. Her breathing was shallow as she faded in and out of consciousness. But in the moments her blue eyes were open, they were focused on his. She saw a sudden dark look wash over his face as the sound of a soft voice, full of fear, spoke out in the silence of the room.

"Daddy? Something's wrong."


	14. Chapter 14

Daryl's heart stopped. A million thoughts entered is mind in that moment. "Why isn't he crying? What happened? What if he's sick, what if he's dead? If he's dead, then he'll turn. He'll turn. No. No. No. No. No. No. Not again. Carol can't lose another child. Not like this. Not this child, God please, not like this. This will kill her. This will kill me. No. No. No. No. No. I can't live without her, without our son. She won't be able to survive this. This is all my fault. I did this to her. Merle did this to her. He raped her. I brought him here. No. No. No. Carol forgave me, she loves me, she loves our son. I love our son. Please, God, don't do this. Don't do this to her. Don't take her baby. Our baby. My baby. Please, I'll do anything you want. Just don't do this."

Less than ten seconds had passed since Hershel had rushed over to his daughter and the baby, but it felt like ten years to Daryl. Suddenly a quiet squeak broke through the silence, followed by another, and another, until a loud cry pulled Daryl from his mind. His heart started beating again as he saw Hershel approaching with a squalling infant wrapped in a white blanket. He placed the bundle into Carol's arms and the smile that came to her tired face was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. She softly cooed to her baby, running her fingers lightly over his features as she memorized every detail. "Hello there little man. I'm your mama. I've been waiting a long time to meet you. You need a name, don't you? A good strong name for a strong boy." She looked up to where Daryl was still standing next to her. "I had some names picked out for him, but they don't seem right now. Can you think of anything?"

He thought back over his life, to the men he had known, his family, his childhood friends, his co-workers. The men he had met after the world had ended. Rick, Glenn, Hershel, Carl, Tyreese, Lenny. The men they had lost. Jim, Dale, T-Dog, even Shane. There were so many names. But he could find that only one had stood out to him and he spoke it without hesitation. "Eli."

She smiled as she turned her attention back to the child in her arms. "What do you think sweetheart? Eli? Do you like that?" The baby gurgled and squirmed in response. "I think you like that. Eli."

She looked back up at Daryl who was quickly brushing away the tear that had escaped from his eye. "How did you think of that? It's perfect." she said, quickly looking back down, afraid to take her eyes off of him.

"Eli was my Grandpa. Elijah actually. Lost him when I was little. Only man in my family that was ever worth a damn."

Carol gazed at him, love shining in her eyes. She reached her hand towards him, pulling him down gently to press her lips sweetly against his. "Only man until you. You're worth so much more than just a damn." She released him, turning her gaze on her son. "Elijah Daryl Dixon." she said as she kissed him gently on the tip of his nose.

Daryl watched her, the way she smiled at the bundle in her arms, the way she cooed and shushed his little cries. He had never loved her more than he did in this moment. She was happy, content, she was home. She whispered sweet little words to him until Daryl heard her ask him if he wanted to meet his daddy. Anxiety suddenly grasped him. He didn't know how to do this. He didn't know how to be a father. What if he hurt him? What if he dropped him? He was so small, so delicate. He had held Asskicker the day she was born, but that had been instinct, necessity. This was different. This was his son. Elijah. He found that his doubts didn't matter as he felt his hands moving on their own, carefully accepting the bundle that Carol was handing him. He placed a hand behind the baby's head as he really looked at his face for the first time. He was shocked to find that the blue eyes gazing up at him in wonderment, were not Carol's, or Merle's, but mirror reflections of his own. Clearer and more innocent, not having witnessed the things he had. But no matter what the biological connection, from his eyes to his nose to the dark shock of hair on his head, Elijah was his spitting image. Everything around him faded away as a feeling he couldn't describe washed over him. His love for Carol had started gradually, like a drip of water on a rock. It had slowly turned into a trickle, then a steady stream, finally becoming a rushing river. It had worn away the stone, chipping away the hardness bit by bit, smoothing out rough spots until one day, it had finally broken through, gushing like a waterfall into his heart. The feeling he now had was something completely different, more like a tidal wave, hitting him hard, knocking him back as it overtook him. He loved this child. He would kill for him, die for him. He would spend every single second of every single day for as long as he walked this earth protecting him. Providing for him. Teaching him and loving him. He was overwhelmed by the feeling. He didn't know what to do. He surprised himself when he felt his mouth open to speak. "Elijah, I'm your daddy. I love you little boy. I love you and your mama more than anything else in this world. I'm gonna take care of you. I ain't never gonna hurt you. I promise." he whispered to his son, voice cracking as he made his vow.

Carol hadn't taken her eyes off of them, watching as Daryl gently rocked back and forth with their son, staring at him with a look she had never seen before. She was so tired, every cell in her body calling for sleep. She fought as hard as she could, not wanting to miss a second of this moment. But it was too much, she was still aching all over and when Hershel stepped over to her and gave her two large white pills, she took them without a fight. Her eyelids were starting to droop and she didn't see Daryl hand the baby to Beth. She didn't feel him lift her from the exam table and place her gently into the soft hospital bed. All she could hear was a quiet voice, calling to her through the haze of the strong medication. "I love you Carol. Go to sleep." She listened to it and embraced the darkness, falling into a deep slumber.

Daryl pulled the blanket up over her, kissing her gently on the forehead before stepping away, taking his son back from Beth. He actually gave her a quick hug, thanking her for her help. She smiled and walked away, cleaning up the mess from the exam table before leaving the room. Daryl was mesmerized by the tiny life in his arms. He paced back and forth across the room, just watching Elijah's movements. The baby had begun to cry again and Hershel soon appeared holding a small bottle of formula. He accepted it, rubbing the tip of the nipple against Elijah's lips, until the boy finally opened up, accepting the food and sucking greedily. He quickly drained the bottle, burping softly as his back was patted. Daryl watched as he yawned, stretching out his little hands. He set him down on the bed next to Carol's, propping pillows on either side of him as his son drifted into a peaceful sleep. He didn't know how long he stood there, just watching his son breathe. He had almost forgotten that Hershel was still there. He startled a bit when the Doctor spoke up.

"He's a beautiful baby Daryl. Strong and healthy. Only reason Beth said there was something wrong was because she couldn't get all of the mucus out of his throat. Once we got that out he was just fine."

Daryl looked at the man standing next to him. He didn't have the words to express how grateful he was for everything Hershel had done for Carol and the baby. He simply nodded, a gesture they both knew meant thank you. They stood in silence for a few moments, admiring Elijah. Daryl felt his chest tighten as Hershel spoke again.

"Daryl, why did Carol say she hated Merle? She was so quiet, I almost thought I imagined her saying it. But I know what I heard."

Daryl gave the man a hard look. "Ain't nothing Hershel. She was delusional. Leave it be."

Hershel watched the way Daryl's face had darkened, the way his whole body had tensed up, almost defensively standing next to his son. His expression was one of pure rage and fear. Hershel suddenly had a thought and it came out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"Daryl, you aren't that baby's father, are you?"

Daryl glared at the doctor, more angry than he had ever been in his life. Remembering that Carol and the baby were still sleeping, he lowered his voice, the volume not concealing the venom that dripped from his words.

"I am Elijah's Daddy. You understand me? Merle ain't nothing but a dead piece of shit. Drop this Hershel."

Hershel stepped back, seating himself down on the stool behind him. He furrowed his brow as it all started to come together in his head. "It makes sense now. Why Carol waited so long to tell anyone, why she had been acting so odd. I saw how concerned you were the first day you brought her to me. You didn't know either. It was because of Merle. She was pregnant and he was gone. She was mourning him. I just, I don't understand. Her and Merle? I didn't even know they were seeing each other, let alone, you know. How did this happen?"

Daryl was seeing red now. He took a step towards Hershel, hands clenched tightly at his sides. "Hershel, you need to shut the fuck up and leave this be. It ain't none of your goddamned business. Carol wasn't seeing Merle, and she sure as hell wasn't fucking him. She ain't that kind of woman. She's my wife and that is my son. That's all you need to know."

Hershel thought about Daryl's words for a second, until a horrifying realization hit him. His eyes met the younger man's and from the look on his face he knew he was right. He spoke quietly. "Carol wasn't with him. She wouldn't have been with him. Anyone with eyes could see that she's loved you for as long as I've known ya'll. But Merle, he's that baby's father. Daryl? Merle, did he…? Was Carol…she was raped?"

Daryl could feel his anger begin to bubble up inside of him, seeking release. He was shocked however, as instead of his normal reaction, one of rage and violence, he simply stood there, his face blank as he began to cry. It had been a very emotional day and now, hearing the words come out of Hershel's mouth, the truth revealed, he couldn't contain himself. He felt the tears fall, burning his cheeks. Hershel surprised him when he reached over and wrapped his arms around him in a brief, tense embrace.

"Daryl, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I know you're Elijah's father." Hershel said as he pulled away, watching the younger man begin to compose himself.

Daryl wiped away the moisture from his cheek. He glanced at Hershel, so ashamed of himself. He knew everything. He would blame him, just like he blamed himself. He could see that Hershel was processing this information, but when his eyes raised to meet him they didn't hold blame or contempt. They held understanding and even a little bit of pride.

"Daryl, the day Carol told me she was pregnant, you both told me you were the father. But I notice things, son. You two weren't together then. She hadn't been speaking to you for months. She hadn't really been speaking to anyone. When you found out about the baby, about what Merle did to her, she didn't ask you to lie for her. You did that on your own, didn't you?"

Daryl nodded slowly, still trying to avoid the strange look Hershel was giving him. "Didn't want anyone to know what he did to her. Didn't want anyone talking about her, thinking she was some kind of slut. I told her she was gonna tell everyone that the baby was mine. I needed to make things right, needed to make up for what my fucking brother had done. She didn't fight me on it."

"So it was just an act then. You two were just friends keeping a secret."

Daryl nodded.

"But not now. I can see the way you look at her. I can see the way you've changed. You used to be such a hard, cold man, so full of rage. But you've softened, you're walls have broken down. You really love her, don't you?"

Daryl raised his eyes towards Hershel. "She's everything. Her and Eli. They're everything."

Hershel placed his hand on Daryl's arm. "Then no matter how horrible the act was, Merle did one decent thing in his entire miserable existence. He brought you two together. You can't blame yourself son. I know Carol doesn't blame you, she loves you more than I've ever seen another woman love a man. If you love her as much as I think you do, then forgive yourself. Let the past go. There isn't a lot of happiness left in this world. You grab onto what you have and don't ever let it go."

Daryl looked at his sleeping wife and son and nodded. "I'm trying to let it go. But ain't nothing that could take them away from me. I'd die fighting before I let that happen."

Hershel took a deep breath, before saying one final thing. "I need to apologize to you Daryl. When I found out about the baby, I was angry at you. Angry at you for being careless enough to get her pregnant. Angry at you for waiting so long to get her medical care. When you asked me if you might have given her a disease, I nearly punched you in the face. I judged you unfairly, I didn't see what was right there in front of me if I had been smart enough to look. I've asked God for forgiveness for my judgment, but I'm asking you too."

Daryl just looked at him in shock. Hershel was apologizing to him? Asking his forgiveness? He didn't know what to say. He just shrugged. "I'd have judged me too. It's okay. No harm done."

Hershel accepted his answer, knowing that he was forgiven. He began to step away when he was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"You ain't gonna say anything about this, right? Carol couldn't take it if anyone knew. I couldn't take it." Daryl said, desperation in his eyes.

Hershel placed his hand over the one on his arm. "No son, I'm not going to say anything. And if Beth heard, I'm going to make it clear to her that she isn't going to say anything either. It's not our place and it's no one's business but yours and Carol's. I don't think she would say anything anyway, she's still trying to make up for telling everyone about the baby in the first place."

Daryl breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled away from the doctor and placed his hand on Elijah's chest, feeling it rise and fall. "Thank you Hershel. For everything. I ain't ever gonna be able to repay you for this."

"You don't owe me anything, Daryl. You and Carol are my family too. This was just family helping family."

Daryl thanked him again as Hershel moved to leave. Once he was gone, Daryl picked his Elijah up from where he slept. The boy did not stir as Daryl kissed him lightly on the forehead. He sat down on the stool, glancing up at Carol to make sure she was still asleep. He looked at the boy in his arms, still in awe of the fact that he was his. He stayed that way for hours, holding his sleeping son until the first rays of morning sun broke through the dirty windows. Carol woke up after a while, still sore and tired, but ready to be with her son. Daryl kissed her good morning, and placed Eli in her waiting arms. The boy had woken up wailing and Daryl had stepped away to make a bottle for him, but when he returned with the milk he found that Carol had already quieted him, the baby suckling at her breast. She smiled as he walked over and sat down next to her in the bed. Visitors had started to arrive, eager to meet the newest member of their group. Elijah was passed around, admired, praised and pampered. Daryl could not have been more proud. The day passed quickly, someone else always dropping in to spend a few more minutes with the child. Carol had slept a bit more throughout the day, but as the sun started to go down, Daryl could feel his own fatigue hit him like a ton of bricks. Beth had brought the portable crib to the infirmary for them, and Elijah was now sleeping peacefully next to Carol's bed, tucked under a light blue blanket, safe and secure. Carol watched the way Daryl stood there next to it, afraid to close his eyes. She called softly to him, moving over in the bed and patting the spot beside her.

"Come on Daryl, he isn't going anywhere. You need to sleep. You're so tired you can't even stand up straight."

Daryl took one last look at his son and kicked off his boots, climbing into the bed with her. She had turned on her side, and he wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck. "Carol, thank you. For letting me be his daddy. For marrying me. You made me a better man. I just needed to tell you that."

Carol snuggled further into his arms as she spoke. "I didn't do anything. You've always been a good man. You just needed to figure that out on your own. I love you Daryl, now go to sleep. We're both exhausted and who knows how long it will be until he wakes up."

With that, Daryl lightly kissed the back of her neck and let sleep take him.

The next morning, they were surprised to discover that Elijah had actually slept through the night. Carol couldn't believe it, and said as much to Hershel when he walked in to check on them. He simply laughed, telling her that she may have the perfect baby. He told them, with a strange smile on his face, that they were free to head back down to their cell if they liked. Daryl practically leaped out of bed, concealing his own grin as he helped Carol into the wheelchair, placing Elijah in her arms. He collected her bag and as quickly as he could, he pushed them back to the cell block. When they reached the bottom of the stairwell that led to the perch, Carol had actually insisted on walking up them. Daryl took the baby from her, and placing a hand behind her back, they made their way up to their room. Daryl could no longer contain his smile as he heard an audible gasp escape her lips as they entered the room. It had been completely redone. The wall that had stood between their cell and the one that Daryl had previously occupied had been knocked down, doubling the room's size. The old bunks had been ripped out and in one's place was a simple framed double bed. A real bed. There was a small chest of drawers in place of the old metal table, and the other side of the room was full of new things. The crib that Daryl had found had been set up, as well as a dresser that doubled as a changing table. All of the baby supplies had been arranged neatly in the corner of the room, bags and bags of diapers, wipes, cans of formula, clothes, even the bumbo seat she had asked for. There was enough stuff there to last for a year. She turned around slowly, taking in every detail, until she finally laid eyes on Daryl's face, a huge grin planted there.

"How…where did…who…?" she stuttered, completely at a loss for words.

Daryl just grinned wider before he explained. "I had the idea to knock down the wall, and the baby stuff came from the run we made. But the other furniture. That came from Rick, Tyreese, and Michonne. They came across an abandoned furniture store, and grabbed whatever they could. I think they're going back for more tomorrow. They want everyone to make their cells more comfortable. But they decided we should be first. Wedding present, I guess." he said, happy that she seemed to like the changes.

"It's perfect. This feels like home. Like a real home."

Daryl stepped forward to kiss her, pulling her into his arms, mindful of the baby in hers. When he pulled back, he reapeated something she had once told him. "This is our home Carol. This is where we're going to raise Eli, and grow old together. With all of our family. This is our future."


	15. Chapter 15

Epilogue

Life went on. Days passed, turning into weeks and months. The seasons changed, the earth kept spinning long after the dead rose up to walk it. Four years had come and gone since the night Eli had come into the world, and so many things had changed. The prison group had grown even larger, losing people along the way, but always welcoming more. Nearly every cell block in the building was now occupied, full of men, women and children. While the threat of the dead was always there, it had lessened, sightings along their fences becoming fewer and fewer. Life was as close to normal as it could be now .  
Daryl looked out over the yard from his place in the tower. Watch had become a boring task lately, and he was itching to be done with it. He breathed a sigh of relief when Carl finally arrived to relieve him. The boy had grown into a tall, lanky young man, eighteen years old and resembling his father more and more each day. He had a defeated look on his face when he flopped down in the chair next to Daryl, and the older man couldn’t help but laugh.  
“What’s the matter kid, Beth break up with you again? How many times is that now? Ten? Fifteen?” he asked teasingly.  
Carl just turned and glared at him, before responding. “No, she didn’t break up with me. She’s just driving me crazy. I’ve loved that girl for 5 years, we’ve been together for two, and she still won’t have sex with me. Keeps sayin’ we need to be married first. I don’t know how much more I can take.” he said, dropping his head into his hands in frustration.  
“Carl, I ain’t trying to tell you what to do, but why don’t you just marry the girl. You two are crazy about each other, and it ain’t like your age is any big deal.” Daryl offered, as he had every other time they’d had this conversation.  
Carl looked up at him, slightly annoyed at the advice, but knowing he was right. “I know, I know. I’m planning on asking her soon. Just trying to come up with a plan, you know. I want to make it special for her. I need a ring and all that.”  
Daryl chuckled as he thought back to the night he had proposed to Carol, nervous and naked, kneeling on the floor in their tiny cell. It was one of his favorite memories. “Carl, you don’t need some big romantic gesture, just tell the girl how you feel and tell her you want to be with her. As for getting her a ring, come along with us on the next run. I’ll take you to the place where I got Carol’s from.”  
“Thanks Daryl. My dad is so busy with Michonne and Judith and everything else, I hate having to bother him with stuff like this.”  
“Ain’t no problem kid. Now, if you got everything here, I’m gonna head out. I got somewhere to be.”  
Carl nodded at him, giving him permission to go. He picked up his crossbow and his bag from the corner and made his way down the steps and into the yard. He smiled when he spotted her, standing near the clothesline, folding the last of their laundry and watching the kids play. They were both nearing their fiftieth birthdays, and while his age was starting to become more apparent, gray hairs streaked through his dark locks and his beard, she looked almost the same as she did the day they had met. The only difference was that her soft dark gray hair, which had once been closely cropped, was now nearly down to her belt. She hadn’t noticed him yet, her attention was focused on the kids as they ran around, yelling and laughing. He stepped up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist, and using his other hand to brush away the hair from her neck, before placing a gentle kiss there. “Hey woman. Miss me?”  
Carol spun around in his arms and brought her lips to his, lingering for a moment before turning herself back around. “Of course I did, I always miss you. Gotta work though. Well, some of us do anyway. Can’t all sit up there in the tower staring into space.” she said teasingly.  
He tightened his arm around her waist, pressing himself against her back and moving his lips back to her neck, giving her a gentle little bite before whispering into her ear. “Remember, I was out hunting before you ever even got out of bed this morning. Not to mention, I finished Eli’s birthday present while I was up there staring into space. Did plenty of work today woman. Might do some more later, if you’re nice to me.”  
Carol laughed. “It’s our anniversary Daryl, you are definitely going to do some work later. I might do some too if you play your cards right.” she said suggestively.  
Even after all this time, she still had the same effect on him. He couldn’t wait to get her into their bed, but there were more pressing matters at hand right now. Namely, the dirty blond shaggy haired little boy that was currently barreling towards them at full speed. Daryl released Carol just in time to sweep his son up into his arms, giving him a quick squeeze before pulling away to look at his bright blue eyes.  
“Hey punk, missed you. How was school today?”  
Eli was grinning as he told his daddy all about his day. The boy could talk a mile a minute and sometimes you had to ask him to slow down just to understand what he was saying.  
“It was great. We did our letters and numbers, and then we took a walk to learn about bugs. Did you know that caterpillars turn into butterflies? We had some extra story time, and Miss Beth let me choose the story cause it’s my birthday. I picked the story about the three little pigs cause it’s my favorite. Then she gave us all a special treat. Have you ever had chocolate, daddy? I had some today and it’s my new favorite food. I want chocolate all the time. Can we have chocolate for supper tonight, please?” Eli said, barely stopping to take a breath between sentences .  
Daryl smiled as he heard the events of Eli’s day. He loved these moments. “Whoa, slow down there little man. I don’t think we can have chocolate for supper. That’s a very special treat and it’s not real easy to find. But, I’m sure your mama made something you like.”  
Carol chimed in. “I’m going to make spaghetti , although chocolate does sound good. I might just have to go find Beth and see if she has any left.”  
Daryl smiled. Last time either of them had seen any chocolate was a few years back, and it had come in the form of a bottle of syrup that been quite the bitch to wash out of their sheets once they had had their fun with it. He blushed a little bit, but pushed the memory away until later. Right now he had something to do. He placed Eli down gently on the grass, crouching down in front of him. He grabbed his bag and reached in, finding what he was looking for, but not yet revealing it.  
“Eli, what’s the one thing you wanted for your birthday?”  
Eli already knew what was coming. He was practically bouncing where he stood. “A rifle! Did you get me a rifle? Mama said I couldn’t have one yet, but you got me one, right?”  
A sly grin came over Daryl’s lips as he extracted Eli’s gift from his bag. It was a rifle, but certainly not a real one. It was a wooden pop gun. He had been working on it for weeks now, whittling away at the wood bit by bit, hollowing out the barrel with a drill from the tool shed, sanding down all the splinters until it was smooth as glass. He had found an old cork from a wine bottle and had just finished attaching it to the string and loading it up before his watch had ended. Eli eyed the toy curiously, reaching out to take it slowly. He seemed a little disappointed until Daryl showed him how to fire it. When the cork came shooting out of the barrel with a loud pop, Eli lit up.  
“Holy shit, that was so cool!” he said excitedly, glancing shyly up at Carol when he realized that he had said a bad word. “Sorry, mama.”  
Carol tried to look disapproving, but she couldn’t hide her smile at seeing him so happy. “It’s okay baby, just try not to say it again. Just cause your daddy talks like that, it doesn’t mean you can.” She said, shooting Daryl a little look. He may have softened over the years, but he still swore like a sailor from time to time. She glanced back down at her son. “So I guess you like your present.”  
Eli reloaded the cork into the barrel and fired. “It’s awesome. Can’t shoot no biters, but I can shoot Judy with this. She keeps hitting me. And then she tried to kiss me today. I told Miss Beth to make her stop, but she just started laughing at me. Now I can make her stop all by myself. I’m gonna shoot her dead.” He was off running after that, heading over to where Judith was playing with some of the other young girls in the group. He snuck up behind her, aiming his little gun right for the back of her head. She spun around just in time for him to fire. She startled at the loud pop, tripping backwards over her feet and landing on her butt in the green grass. She laughed, and jumped back up to her feet, chasing after Eli before tackling him to the ground and giving him a big wet kiss on the cheek. He screamed, and tried furiously to wipe it away, before running after her again, with his rifle aimed right at her.  
Daryl laughed as he wrapped his arm around Carol and pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder as they watched the kids play. They stood in comfortable silence for a moment before Carol spoke up.  
“You know, Asskicker is gonna marry that boy someday. She’s been in love with him from the first time she set her little baby eyes on him. I can’t wait to see Rick’s face the day he realizes that. He’s so damn protective of her, he isn’t gonna let those two kids near each other until they’re in their 20’s.”  
Daryl just laughed and pulled her closer. “Worse things in this world than a little love. I think he’ll be just fine with it. We’re all family anyhow, might as well make it official one day.”  
They stood that way for a while longer, before finally reining the kids in. Carol needed to get inside to start supper. The kids ran ahead as they made their way into the kitchen, separating as they ran off to find their parents. There were now so many people in the prison, they had each broken off into their own groups in their separate cell blocks for things like meals. Not surprisingly, the extended Atlanta group had stuck together. Hershel was seated at one of the tables, flipping through a book that had been left there by Lenny. The old man had passed about 6 months prior, simply not waking up one morning. He had become like a surrogate father to them all, and a grandfather to the children. He was sorely missed, but everyone took comfort in the fact that he was finally reunited with his wife and son. They had left his book on the table as a sort of memorial to the man who could be always be found there, nursing a cup of coffee and pretending to read while he waited for someone to talk to.  
Glenn was seated at the table next to Hershel’s, looking exhausted as his oldest daughter Sadie tried to climb up his back. He was trying to coax his twin boys, Dale and Jimmy, into eating the mashed peas that Maggie had given him, but they were fighting him every step of the way. Maggie was standing near the stove, stirring a pot of tomato sauce as she waited for the water to boil for pasta. Carol made her way over to her, placing a hand on her back as she saw that supper was already being made.  
“Maggie, you didn’t have to do that. It’s my night to cook.” she said gratefully.  
Maggie gave her a sweet smile and continued stirring. “It was no problem. It’s not like it was a hard meal, and anyway, it’s your anniversary today. You’ve done enough work.”  
Carol gave her friend a small peck on the cheek. “Thank you sweetie.”  
“You’re welcome.” Maggie replied, lowering her voice as she continued. “Got a secret for you, haven’t even told Glenn yet. I’m pregnant again.”  
Carol tried with all her might to contain her laughter as she looked over to where Glenn was sitting, being attacked by his children. She looked back at Maggie and smiled. “You two are going to repopulate the earth all on your own if you don’t slow down.”  
Maggie just laughed. “This is going to be the last one, I swear to god. I ain’t letting Glenn near me again until I hit menopause.”  
Carol could feel her blush rising as she thought about all of the things she and Daryl had done since her own change came. They no longer needed to worry about protection, and that had given them a lot of freedom. They’d made love in nearly every room in this prison, a few places outside as well. The watchtower was a particular favorite of his, he liked the idea of being right above everyone as she rode him and covered her mouth to conceal her cries. She snapped out of it as she noticed that Maggie was looking at her funny. She stuttered a little bit as she spoke. “Menopause does have its benefits.”  
Maggie grinned. She and everyone else knew about Daryl and Carol’s little trysts, but she would never say that out loud. She resumed cooking, dumping the noodles into the boiling water and telling Carol to go sit down and relax. Carol obliged her and made her way over to where Daryl was standing with Rick and Michonne. Judith was telling her father that Eli had shot her, and that she hadn’t even been being mean. Rick gave Eli a look of mock anger, the little boy hiding behind his dad’s leg. Rick crouched down and tried his best to sound stern while he contained his amusement. “Is that true Eli? Did you shoot Judy for no reason?”  
Eli stepped out from behind Daryl’s legs and tried his best to stand up straight and puff out his little chest. “Ain’t for no reason, Uncle Rick. She keeps tryin to kiss me. It’s gross.” he said in his own defense.  
Rick finally let the laugh pass his lips as he leaned in close and whispered in the little boy’s ear. “Next time she tries to kiss you, you have my permission to shoot her right in the butt. Your daddy used to be real fond of threatening to shoot people there and it usually made them stop whatever they were doing.” he said, shooting a look up at Daryl. Daryl just shrugged, he couldn’t deny that he had put more than a few arrows into the asses of people who had dared to piss him off. Maggie announced that supper was ready, and everyone grabbed a plate as they sat down to eat. Hershel said grace and Daryl found that after all these years, he had actually started to bow his head when the prayer was said. He didn’t know for sure if there was a god, but if there was he was grateful for everything he had.  
They ate in silence for a few moments, until someone inquired as to where Beth was. Like magic, she appeared in the doorway, smiling and looking slightly flushed. Carl was right behind her, grinning like an idiot and looking embarrassed all at the same time. Daryl was surprised to see him there and said as much. “Carl, ain’t you supposed to be on watch right now? It ain’t been more than an hour since you took over from me.”  
Carl dropped down on a chair at the table next to his while Beth went to grab them food. “Tyreese took over for me. He owed me a favor and I really needed to talk to Beth.” He leaned a little closer to Daryl and lowered his voice. “You think we could make that run we talked about tomorrow? I kinda jumped the gun and asked her without having a you know what. She got all excited and we started doing stuff, but then she said we still can’t go all the way until she has something on her finger. I think she’s tryin to kill me.”  
Daryl smiled as he replied. “Yeah kid, we’ll go tomorrow. About time too. Didn’t think you had the balls to do it.”  
Carl tried to glare at him, but he still looked too happy to pull it off. “Shut up. My balls are what finally made me do it. They’re turning blue.” He quickly shut up when Beth slid into the seat next to him, placing a plate of spaghetti in front of him.  
Daryl turned back to his own food when Carol leaned in and whispered in his ear. “What was that all about?”  
“Carl and Beth, I’ll tell you later.” Daryl whispered back.  
Everyone soon finished their meals, and the evening passed pleasantly. Eli and Judith had forgiven each other for now and were sitting on the floor, trying to read a book to Sadie, Dale, and Jimmy. Since neither of them could really read yet, they were mostly just making it up as they went along and showing the younger children the pictures. Carol, Maggie, Beth, and Michonne had cleaned up from their supper and were sitting around talking about the work that needed to be done tomorrow, gossiping a little bit as well. Mostly they were teasing Beth about why she had looked so funny when she had come in. Beth wouldn’t reveal anything, just said they would just have to wait and see. The men in the group, Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Hershel, and Carl, were seated around one of the tables, attempting a game of poker. Surprisingly, for a guy who couldn’t really lie, Glenn was beating them all. It wasn’t like money had any value anymore, it was a concept that the children didn’t even understand. But Glenn still looked pretty pleased with himself when he saw that the pile of pennies in front of him had grown quite large. The scene was like one in a movie, a family gathered together, enjoying each other’s company. Most nights passed by in a similar fashion. All of these very different people had been pushed together, at first out of necessity, out of a need for survival. Now they couldn’t really imagine life without each other. Everyone had a place, a role to fill. They had become the close knit family that some had longed for before the world went to hell. They were home.  
The children had started looking tired, so the night ended as everyone gathered up their respective kids and started to head back to their cells to settle in for the night. Daryl had scooped a half asleep Eli up into his arms and with Carol at his side, they made the short walk back to their room. Eli could barely be bothered to get changed, and Carol finally just gave up. It was a warm night and she just left him in his underwear as she tucked him into his bed. The crib and baby gear were long gone, having been replaced by a small twin bed and a bookshelf which contained the little boy’s treasures. His books, a collection of arrowheads that Hershel had given him, a few toy cars, a couple of snakeskins that Daryl had found in the woods, and on the highest shelf, in a small wooden frame, was a picture of Sophia.  
Daryl had asked Carol one time if she had any pictures of her daughter, and Carol had sadly replied that they had all been left behind, that Ed had not allowed her to pack something so silly when they had left their home. It had bothered him for a long time, until one day, they were making a run and found themselves in the small town where Carol had told him she had once lived. He had looked at every mailbox they passed and when he finally spotted the name Peletier, he had asked Glenn to stop the truck. He had jumped out of the truck and after struggling for a moment to get the door open, he had walked in. The house had not been touched, every single dust covered knickknack and piece of furniture was still in its place. He felt like he wanted to leave the second he stepped in. This had not been a happy home and he could swear that if he listened closely, he could still hear the sound of a woman and a young girl crying, the sound of a fist colliding with tender skin. He was furious in that moment, and when he saw the picture of Ed on the mantle, he couldn’t help himself. He had picked it up and hurled it across the room, watching the glass frame shatter into a million pieces. He tried to compose himself, but when he saw the picture that had been sitting next to Ed’s, he felt an immediate calm. It was a picture of Carol and Sophia. It had to be nearly twenty years old by now. She was seated in a rocking chair, a warm smile on her face as she held her infant daughter in her arms. He studied the picture closely, and the look on her face absolutely warmed his heart. She looked so young, her eyes still bright, full of spunk and fire. Her real nightmare with Ed had not yet begun and she looked like a woman full of hope. He had wished that he had known her then, had been there to protect her from the men that had taken that hope away from her, had abused her and tried to extinguish her flame. But he knew that twenty years ago, he would have been no good for her, so messed up by his own abuse that he never would have been able to see what a wonderful woman she was. He picked the picture up and carefully placed the frame in his bag. He ignored the rest of the pictures on the mantle, stiffly posed family portraits, and began to wander through the rest of the house. He entered what must have been Carol and Ed’s room. He felt his stomach turn as he thought about what must have happened behind these walls, but he suppressed it as he looked around. It had been sparsely decorated and he couldn’t really see anything worth taking until his eyes fell upon a small wooden box on top of a chest of drawers. He lifted the lid to find a few pieces of jewelry. He remembered that Carol had once mentioned her grandmother, a woman who had passed away when Carol was only four, but had been very kind to her when she was alive. The jewelry had belonged to her, and she had willed it to her granddaughter. Daryl closed the lid and securing it with a piece of ribbon that had been lying next to it, he added it to his bag. He left the room, opening doors until he finally found what he was looking for. The room was small and pink, packed with dolls and toys and girly things. He stepped in and looked around. He hadn’t really gotten to know Sophia when she was alive, his interest in her hadn’t begun until the day she went missing. But he had listened to Carol talk about her, about how smart and kind and funny she had been. In his mind, she was his child just as much as Eli. He wiped a tear from his eye as he moved to start collecting things. He found a large purple duffle bag under the bed and filled it with her things. A doll, a small ballet costume, a few books and school paintings, finally topping it off with a scrapbook full of pictures of happy times. He moved to leave, but paused before exiting the room. He took a deep breath and spoke. “Sophia, I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. I tried so hard, but it was too late. I just want you to know, your mama loves you and she misses you every day, but she’s safe. I promise you I ain’t never gonna let another bad thing happen to her for as long as I live.” He had finally made his peace with the way the little girl’s life had ended and he now felt like he finally had closure. Maybe with the things he was bringing Carol, she would be able to find it as well. He left that house then, wanting nothing more than to torch it as he stepped out into the sun. But he wasn’t that kind of man anymore. He no longer let his rage control him. He simply got back into the truck and told Glenn to move on, that he had gotten what he needed.

The picture on top of Eli’s bookcase had been one from Sophia’s scrapbook, a shot of her laughing as she kicked her legs on a swing. Eli had asked a million questions about his “angel sister” and though Carol had teared up as she spoke, she answered every one. Most nights, he would take the picture down from its place on the shelf and talk to it, telling his sister all about his life. Having been too tired tonight, he would most likely talk to her in the morning as he crept quietly from his bed. Carol smiled as she watched her sleeping son, Daryl leaning down to give him a kiss on the forehead after she had. They pulled the curtain separating the two sides of the room shut, and quickly undressed, climbing into bed together. Daryl kissed her gently, increasing his pressure as she began to respond in kind. Once they got started there was no stopping them, short of Eli waking up and stepping through the curtain. But tonight, their son didn’t wake and they spent the next hour making love, bodies intertwined in pleasure as they tried to stifle their cries and moans. When they had finally found their release, multiple time is Carol’s case, they had collapsed into each other’s arms, sweaty and panting as they lay there, just watching each other. They were connected, two halves of the same person. It had taken the end of the world to bring them together, but now nothing on earth could tear them apart.  
“I love you Daryl” she whispered as she closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.  
He brushed her hair away from her face, placing his hand on her cheek as he replied. “I love you too Carol.” meaning it more now than ever before. His love for her would continue to bloom and grow, just like the flower that had been the first step in their long journey to each other.


End file.
